Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It is the last Sunday of the year and the Sunday immediately after Christmas: a natural extension of the solemnity of the Lord's birth. A few days ago, we read in Luke's Gospel how the shepherds said to one another: “Let's go to Bethlehem”, and there they found Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus lying in the manger. The shepherds teach us not only the attitude we should have at Christmas—going to Bethlehem—but also what we are called to find when we arrive. Our gaze is directed not only to Jesus, but also to his mother and father. The Church invites us to contemplate this icon in which we see the tenderness, joy, and loving care of Mary and Joseph toward the Child. As Pope Benedict XVI once said: “Christmas is the family holiday par excellence.".
By choosing to be conceived, born, and raised in a human family, God himself has consecrated and sanctified the reality of family life. The human family becomes a holy family. Just as Christ was baptized not to be purified by water, but to make water holy, so too, by being born into a family, he sanctifies it. The vocation and mission of every family become clearer: it becomes the ordinary place of encounter between God and humanity. Holiness is not something distant; it takes flesh in the daily rhythms, sacrifices, and joys of family life.
Before the icon of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we find no speeches, guidelines, or advice on how to have a holy family. Jesus taught about marriage: Mary kept in her heart the wonders that surrounded her Son; Joseph spoke little, but in his silence he expressed a fidelity to God's plan that was stronger than words. What we find, instead, are events: episodes that allow us to enter into the mystery of the Holy Family.
One such episode is found in today's Gospel reading. It is a very moving episode, with much light to offer contemporary culture. I must confess that it is a bittersweet episode for me. First of all, as an African, I am glad that Jesus spent part of his childhood on African soil. It is a source of pride. But the circumstances that made it possible make it bitter. We see the Child Jesus, the Holy Family, threatened by Herod. The Holy Family migrates and finds hospitality in Egypt.
We also see Jesus“ early experience with cultural identity. He left for Egypt to fulfill the prophecy: "From Egypt I called my son”Then he returned to the land of Israel, and since Joseph was afraid to go there at that time, they settled in the region of Galilee, in Nazareth, thus fulfilling the prophecy that he would be called a Nazarene.
Amidst all these displacements, what stands out most is José's attitude. We repeatedly hear the instruction: “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee. …”. And each time, Joseph gets up, takes the child and his mother, and sets out on his way. The holiness of a family depends on listening to God's will and obeying it. Joseph embodies this disposition. His obedience is prompt, courageous, and intelligent—so intelligent that it even leaves room for a prudent fear that, in God's hands, becomes a means of fulfilling the Scriptures.
If we want holy families today, we need fathers—and mothers—who are willing to listen to God's voice and respond with prompt obedience. It is God's desire that every family be holy, and that Christ dwell at its center.
This five-episode miniseries frantically recounts the events that made Herrhausen a key figure in European history throughout 1989.
Pablo Úrbez-December 25, 2025-Reading time: 2minutes
Alfred Herrhausen, chairman of the board of Deutsche Bank, was assassinated in November 1989. The perpetrators of the crime were never identified, although it was attributed to the Red Army FactionHerrhausen, a far-left organization that, in the previous years, had assassinated other German businessmen. Herrhausen proved to be a key figure in the thawing of the Iron Curtain and the fall of the Berlin Wall. His economic policy was to write off the debts of developing countries and to promote greater social responsibility in banking, which was severely criticized by the capitalist sector. However, these measures attracted the attention of Gorbachev, who saw in Herrhausen a trustworthy person to alleviate the bankruptcy of the Soviet Union.
This five-episode miniseries frantically recounts the events that made Herrhausen a key figure in European history throughout 1989. In contrast to the well-known events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the viewer witnesses the intra-history, the numerous apparently innocuous acts that gradually generated a climate conducive to Gorbachev and the West reaching an agreement that overcame the division. Herrhausen is portrayed as a charismatic character, a visionary, at odds with his board of directors and the Western political opposition.
Highly recognizable supporting characters such as German President Helmut Kohl, former CIA Secretary Henry Kissinger and Deutsche Bank executives continually parade across the screen. In addition, the Cold War atmosphere of espionage and mistrust is captured very well. It also reflects the motives behind Herrhausen's assassination. Although the bomb was detonated by a very small group, there are many who encouraged and celebrated this event. Thus, given the impossibility of knowing exactly who caused the explosion, the miniseries elaborates its answers, satisfactory and plausible. The characters are not meticulously developed, and there is hardly any respite for their dramatic evolution, as it seems that the accumulation of events is more important. However, the frenetic pace of 1989 is plausibly recreated.
Although Spain is known for its deep devotion to the Virgin Mary, many of the faithful are still unaware of the true extent of her role in the history of salvation.
The book by Jorge Fernández Díaz, former Spanish Minister of the Interior, seriously delves into this issue, approaching it from the perspective of the theology of history, that is, attempting to analyze how the plans of providence are intertwined with human endeavors.
The author offers the reader a spiritual and historical journey that sheds light on the meaning of Marian apparitions throughout the last few centuries.
The work, which is remarkably dense both physically and conceptually, is structured in three main parts. In the first, the author places the beginning of an intense Marian period starting in 1830, with the appearance of the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal in Paris. Since then, Fernández Díaz points out, there have been more than 80% recognized apparitions, which he does not consider a coincidence: in a world increasingly distant from God due to the process of modern secularization, Mary appears with greater force to console, warn, and guide humanity. This is the key to understanding the entire book: the messages of the Virgin Mary as a loving response to the suffering of contemporary man.
The second part of the book focuses on the Spanish case, analyzing in depth lesser-known but significant apparitions such as Chauchina, Ezquioga, Umbe, Chandavila, Garabandal, Can Cerdà, and El Escorial.
The third section, which is longer—about 150 pages—is devoted entirely to the message of Fatima, which the author considers central to understanding the 20th century in the light of Marian spirituality.
The volume concludes with two appendices on appearances in Belgium and Amsterdam.
It is striking, however, that the author does not devote any space to other phenomena of great significance such as Medjugorje or Akita, trusting that the reader is already familiar with them. This omission may come as a surprise, especially in the case of Medjugorje, given the enormous influence it continues to have today on thousands of pilgrims.
In short, this book is a solid and well-documented proposal that helps rediscover the active role of the Virgin Mary in modern history. It is essential reading for those who seek to better understand the mystery of Mary's spiritual motherhood.
“Behold the star that surprises the world, a newly lit spark, resplendent with life: «Today, in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord» (Lk 2:11),” said Pope Leo XIV in his homily during Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. He urged everyone to admire the wisdom of Christmas: “In the child Jesus, God gives the world new life.”.
At the beginning of the ceremony, in preparation for the Eucharist, some biblical passages announcing the birth of the Savior were read, followed by the proclamation of the Kalenda—the announcement of Christmas and the expectation of salvation. The Holy Father then unveiled the image of the Child Jesus to incense him, accompanied by a group of children from various countries: South Korea, India, Mozambique, Paraguay, Poland, and Ukraine. He then continued with the initial rites of the Mass.
The unveiling of the image of the Infant Jesus in St. Peter's Basilica (@Vatican Media)
In his homily, the Pope reflected on the eloquence of the cry of the fragile child born in Bethlehem who brings salvation, whom we can find by looking close to us, since God became man to free us from the slavery of sin.
“He who gives his life for us lives among us, illuminating our night with salvation. There is no darkness that this star does not illuminate, because in its light all humanity sees the dawn of a new and eternal existence,” said Leo XIV.
The Holy Father said that “it is the birth of Jesus, the Emmanuel. In the Son made man, God does not give us something, but himself, «to save us from all iniquity, to purify us and to create for himself a chosen people» (Titus 2:14).” And to find the Savior, the Pontiff specified with the Gospel: «a newborn child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger» (Lk 2:12).
Look down
“To find the Savior, we must not look up, but look down: God's omnipotence shines forth in the helplessness of a newborn baby; the eloquence of the eternal Word resounds in the first cry of an infant; the holiness of the Spirit shines forth in that little body, clean and wrapped in swaddling clothes,” said the Pope.
Recalling a homily by Benedict XVI: «There is no room for others, for children, the poor, foreigners,» he pointed out that these words are “so relevant today, reminding us that there is no room for God on earth if there is no room for man: not welcoming one means rejecting the other. On the other hand, where there is room for man, there is room for God; and then a stable can become more sacred than a temple and the womb of the Virgin Mary, the ark of the new covenant.”.
The Pope invited us to admire the wisdom of Christmas: “In the child Jesus, God gives the world a new life—his own—for everyone. It is not an idea that solves all problems, but a story of love that involves us all.”.
“As St. Augustine pointed out, «Human pride oppressed you so much that only divine humility could lift you up» (Sermo in Natale Domini, 188, III, 3).
Infinite dignity
And he warns that “yes, while a distorted economy leads us to treat men as commodities, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of each person. While man wants to become God in order to dominate his neighbor, God wants to become man in order to free us from all slavery.”.
“Will this love be enough to change our history?” asks Pope Leo XIV. He indicates that “the answer comes as soon as we wake up, like the shepherds, from a deadly night, in the light of new life, contemplating the baby Jesus.”.
He also recalled Pope Francis“ words on Christmas Eve 2024: «The birth of Jesus rekindles in us »the gift and task of bringing hope where it has been lost.”".
St. Peter's Basilica during Christmas Eve Mass (@Vatican Media).
Gratitude and mission
And with the imminent end of the Jubilee Year, he urges that Christmas be a time of “Gratitude for the gift received” and “mission to bear witness to this gift to the world.”.
The Pope concluded by proclaiming that Christmas is a celebration of faith, charity, and hope: «It is a celebration of faith, because God becomes man, born of the Virgin. It is a celebration of charity, because the gift of the Redeemer Son is realized in fraternal self-giving. It is a celebration of hope, because the child Jesus kindles it in us, making us messengers of peace.”.
Jesus Christ brings us peace
Around 6,000 people attended Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, while nearly 5,000 people gathered in the square in the rain. The Pope greeted them before the ceremony began: “Thank you very much for being here tonight, even in this weather. We want to celebrate Christmas together. Jesus Christ, who was born for us, brings us peace, brings us God's love.”.
Throughout this year, Omnes has published numerous interviews on current affairs from a Catholic perspective. Here is a selection of the most read articles on our website over the last twelve months.
Interview with Pep Borrell, writer and educator on dating and marriage relationships
The King of Kings (El Rey de Reyes) continues its unstoppable run at the Spanish box office and has already surpassed 100,000 viewers in theaters across the country, a milestone that confirms its excellent reception by the public and consolidates it as one of the films with the greatest potential to become one of the favorite choices for families during this Christmas season.
The film, which tells the story of the origins of Christmas through the voice and imagination of Charles Dickens, became the highest-grossing new release in its opening weekend on December 12, reaching number 4 in the national rankings. This strong debut positioned it as one of the most notable films of the moment from the moment it hit theaters.
The success of The King of Kings in Spain adds to its remarkable international success, especially in the United States, where the film has grossed over $60 million, confirming its universal appeal and its ability to connect with audiences from different cultures and generations.
Currently, The King of Kings It is being screened in more than 300 movie theaters throughout Spain, available in both the original version and dubbed in Spanish and Catalan, which reinforces its family-friendly nature and wide accessibility.
Synopsis
On Christmas Eve, Charles Dickens tells his son the greatest story ever told. What begins as a bedtime story turns into a journey that will change their lives forever. Through imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus in a story full of adventures, angels, evil kings, and miracles.
In its English version, The King of Kings features a first-rate voice cast that brings the story and its characters to life. Oscar Isaac voices Jesus Christ, Kenneth Branagh plays Charles Dickens, and Uma Thurman lends her voice to Catherine Dickens. The cast is rounded out by Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley, and Roman Griffin.
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In a society marked by polarization, rushing, and stress, Christmas dinners can be a real test of endurance for some people.
December 24, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
At Christmas, blood relatives or politics can become the enemy to be defeated. The battlefield: the dinner table. The weapon is words. How is this possible, when Christmas is supposed to be a time to celebrate the birth of the Savior, to open our hearts to our neighbors, to give ourselves to others and offer the best of ourselves, to show solidarity and charity to those far away? The answer is not easy, but the truth is that there is a great contrast between reality and what should happen at this time of year.
How has this social investment been cooked up? What social engineering has been carried out by those who encourage us to consume, influence us culturally, lead us socially, and run our country? The answer is broad. Part of the problem stems from polarization, politicization, and fragmentation, which have transformed society. As a result, life has become more than just living; it has become surviving.
It seems like we are in a daily race to pay the bills, get our children to school and their doctors« appointments on time, find parking, or submit the latest requirement to receive assistance or avoid a fine. There's no time to think, only to feel overwhelmed. And if we add to that »the devastating advance of the four modern horsemen of the apocalypse (overpopulation, resource depletion, pollution, and climate change),« as Luri says in his book »On the Art of Reading," then we might as well give up.
How can you flip a tortilla without it falling apart?
On the one hand, recognizing that there are many things that do not depend on us, since we are fragile, limited, and vulnerable, because we are human. And we do not have control over humanity in our hands. That is why Christmas is a good time to pray the beginning of the well-known “Serenity Prayer,” a prayer attributed to the Lutheran theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, which says:
“Lord, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”.
It is a good way to approach the “dreaded” Christmas meals with a different attitude, not one of imposing, attacking, or returning an affront. Instead, it is the attitude of someone who knows that changing others is not in their power. The attitude of someone who does not impose their ideas but proposes them, because they are not necessarily better and because they respect the freedom and conscience of others. Without neglecting the serenity of someone who is at peace with themselves and therefore transmits it (can you think of a better way to avoid conflict?). And the attitude of someone who distances themselves from “brother-in-lawism,” because my answers are not necessarily your answers to the same problems.
That said, without rest for our bodies and minds, we will not succeed. Sleep, sport, inner and outer silence, reading, sharing cultural outings or excursions with the family... all these things allow us to put the pieces of our lives in place.
It is also time to reinterpret past words and actions to place them in a context of empathy. Do you remember the famous Coca-Cola commercial from 2003 that moved half of Spain? A teenager acted as an intermediary between his father and mother, relaying mutual reproaches, going from the kitchen to the living room, and from the living room to the kitchen, through the hallways of the house. Until he opens a bottle of the famous soft drink, and a spark is lit, reinterpreting the words the two say to each other, transforming them into compliments that awaken the appreciation and attraction they enjoyed in the past, loving each other again as they had before. And why can't the same thing happen with a family member we don't talk to? What can we do to restore relationships that used to flow?
The survival guide for this Christmas may end up being, to a large extent, what we work on and pray for. It is up to us to build bridges, to forget what is not worth remembering, and to welcome the gestures of others with respect and sensitivity. But above all, we must remember that Jesus Christ came to earth precisely for this reason: to redeem us with his love. Merry Christmas!
Sundays It is a film that transcends its own author, as demonstrated, among other things, by the remarkable public conversation it has generated, not only in the country's main media outlets, but also within families and work environments.
There has been a lot of commotion surrounding Alauda Ruiz de Azúa's recent remarks at the Forqué Awards. Meanwhile, her film Sundays continues to spark interesting debates and has surpassed 500,000 viewers. Not bad for a Spanish film that tackles religious themes.
We all knew that it wasn't a film that pandered to anyone, that it was respectful and honest towards both sides of the story—believers and non-believers—just as we knew that Alauda belongs to the group of non-believers and that he set out to overcome his biases and prejudices when making this film, which makes his achievement even more valuable.
I believe that Sundays It is a film that transcends its own author, as demonstrated, among other things, by the remarkable public conversation it has generated, not only in the country's mainstream media, but also within families and work environments. Alauda has her own personal opinions about what she narrates, and she is fully entitled to them, but she has been able to set them aside and engage in an admirable exercise of listening to others. Something we should all do more often.
In my opinion, what those somewhat clumsy and hasty words from the other day speak of is a regrettable reality: the lack of freedom in the prevailing culture, in which faith is viewed with suspicion and rejection, and in which many do not forgive Alauda for her refusal to take a clear stand against religion and the Church. One only had to follow that public conversation to notice it. Thus, it seems that the director has felt compelled to declare that, of course, she considers religion to be “indoctrination,” which has baffled and disappointed many of her viewers.
Ah, but is Aunt Maite—who opposes Ainara's decision—a person free of beliefs or doctrines? “She believes in God like you believe in climate change,” her husband retorts in one of the scenes in the film. We all have beliefs, even those who are staunch atheists based on a firm “non-belief.” The key is the nature of each faith and who we choose to believe in. And, of course, everyone's freedom to do so.
No one forces Ainara to end up in the convent, contrary to what her aunt Maite wants the girl's father to do: not let her go. The disbelief of our prevailing culture prevents him from opening up to the possibility of the transcendent: he closes himself off to the supernatural, to that which is invisible to the eyes of the body but essential to the spirit. This is one of the great hits of our present. I found the film to be a dialogue between these two worlds that coexist today, and it revolves around a question that is latent in every frame: Does God exist?
If it doesn't exist, Ainara and those “four old women” are crazy. If it does exist, it will be Aunt Maite and the materialistic atheist world who are crazy, for closing themselves off hermetically to a reality that seems to give meaning and fulfillment to human life.
My brother pointed this out to me when we watched the film together. There is a moment of great cinematic beauty and symbolism in which there is a final “look” between the two protagonists, each in their own space: one dressed in white, joyful, surrounded by her blood family and her chosen family, secure in the certainty of an “incomparable” love, a word used by Alauda herself., in an interview on ABC, to describe the love that these young women with a vocation claim to find. The other, Aunt Maite, descends the dark staircase of a notary's office, overcome by a certain resentment, to meet her family (broken?) on the street. Something seems to stir her in the midst of “uncertainty,” a word also used by Alauda in the program. Movies on SER, to describe the world in which Aunt Maite and she herself live; “in which most of us live,” she concludes.
The two protagonists look back in the final seconds, a very significant detail, which another great film-loving friend of mine pointed out to me, and which complements Alauda's words. Aunt Maite seems to encounter these uncertainties, and perhaps some certainties, within her own family, which is the other major theme of this film and one that we have not discussed here. Ainara looks at Sister Isabel, who closes the door. The fact is that we all have moments of uncertainty, even believers in the realm of faith. In his book Introduction to Christianity,Ratzinger compared us to shipwrecked sailors clinging to a plank in the middle of a stormy sea, where each person chooses whether or not to hold on to the wood that can help them reach Life, but we are all traveling across the same sea.
Alauda, honest as she has been in listening to that other side, and clever—very clever—as she is, has faithfully portrayed, with greater or lesser awareness, the life that each of them chooses; and it is there, in seeing them, that the audience also chooses what to believe, with all its consequences. That is why the film speaks so differently to each of its viewers; it is like life itself, and the achievement of reflecting this is what we call Art.
This is one of the great things about Alauda and her film, something that not everyone achieves, and which has been viewed with suspicion by certain sectors. That is perhaps why she has had to “qualify” it now. And perhaps also because of a Goya award that we all hope she will win and which could be jeopardized if she doesn't? Anyway, I don't want to think badly of her, I admire her too much for the honesty she shows in all her work.
It seems that Alauda has been able to be freer in his art than in his words. This tells us a lot about the world we live in, where there seem to be more dogmas than those defended by the Catholic Church.
In the meantime... Long live Alauda and its cinema! It not only amazes us, but also makes us think and talk.
The authorGema Pérez Herrera
Professor at the University of Valladolid and film critic.
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A moving prayer in verse that explores the mystery of a God who, being infinite, chooses the fragility of a newborn to save the world. José Miguel Granados Temes immerses us in the wonder of a Mother who, between lullabies and caresses, tries to understand the unfathomable love of her Son.
Mission, communion, and holiness: the vision of the Church in canon law
During his first Christmas address to the Roman Curia on December 22, 2025, Pope Leo XIV presented two inseparable realities that guide ecclesial life: mission and communion.
Mission and communion seem like abstract concepts, but they are deeply rooted in theology and canon law. Understanding this connection is crucial to living as missionary disciples of Christ in today's world.
Mission and communion, two inseparable realities
In his address to the Curia, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that the Church exists for mission: to go out to meet the world, to proclaim the good news, and to invite everyone to the banquet of the Kingdom of God. This «new evangelizing outreach» is not accidental; it emerges from the very heart of God, who in an act of radical love sends his Son to reconcile humanity with himself. The Pope expressed it this way: God makes a true «exodus» toward us, he goes out to seek us.
The mission is linked to communion. As the Holy Father emphasized, communion is a reality that springs from the heart of the Trinity and unfolds in a concrete way throughout the Church. Communion is not a feeling; it is the bond that constitutes us as the body of Christ, making each of us a member of the same Body and calling us to be builders of communion. Pope Leo XIV specifies that this communion constitutes today «a task more urgent than ever,» both ad intra (within the ecclesial community) as ad extra (in testimony before the world).
Communion: the primary duty and compass of all the rights and duties of the Christian faithful
The second book of canon law «of the people of God» begins in its first part with a section dedicated to the obligations and rights of all Christian faithful (ChristifidelesAll those who are baptized and incorporated into the Church through baptism possess a fundamental equality that is nuanced by a functional differentiation (hierarchical principle), which determines both the manner of participating in Christ's mission and the particular path of sanctification for each believer.
Here is a notable aspect of the 1983 Code of Canon Law: communion is a primary duty and a right of all the baptized, and more decisively, it becomes the criterion and limit for the exercise of all other rights. This marks a radical difference from individual rights in civil constitutions. In the secular world, rights are often exercised in an individualistic manner: each citizen exercises his or her rights on a personal basis within the civil regulatory framework.
In the Church, however, no individual right can be exercised against ecclesial communion. If it does, it loses its meaning and legitimacy. What are the concrete bonds of this communion? Canon 205 lists them:
(1) profession of faith—adherence to the deposit revealed in Scripture and Tradition, interpreted by the Magisterium;
(2) unity in the sacraments;
and (3) hierarchical communion. The Church is a hierarchically organized society (C. 207). Only when we all maintain these bonds do our rights and obligations take on true meaning and contribute to the common good of the Church.
The universal call to holiness: a «revolutionary» call»
Canon 210, on the duty and right of the faithful to holiness, precedes—and this is significant—the canons referring to the duties and rights of all Christian faithful (canons 208-223) and therefore constitutes a criterion of interpretation: «All the faithful should strive, according to their own condition, to lead a holy life, as well as to increase the Church and promote its continual sanctification.» The rights and duties of the faithful to worship (C. 214), to association (C. 215), to Christian formation and education (C. 217), to private life (C. 220), etc., only make sense if they are read under the paradigm of communion and the common good.
Herein lies one of the most profound contributions of the Second Vatican Council, expressed in Lumen Gentium: the universal call to holiness. This notion leaves behind an old ecclesial conception that saw different levels of holiness according to the state of life of each believer and according to which there was a «state of perfection,» for example, religious who, through their evangelical profession with vows, were called to the fullness of Christian life. As if some believers had a duty to holiness and others did not.
This exhortation to holiness by the Second Vatican Council, expressed in the Code of Canon Law, was the result, among other things, of the re-reading of many spiritual authors (from St. Augustine to St. Thérèse of Lisieux) but decisively by St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, who concretized this concept in the prelature of Opus Dei and in its mission: to spread the universal call to holiness in the midst of the world, especially through the sanctification of ordinary work and the common circumstances of life.
As the Magisterium emphasizes, and as Pope Leo XIV has now underscored, holiness and communion are not lived in the abstract. The pursuit of Christian perfection does not consist in escaping the world or denying earthly responsibilities. On the contrary, each believer pursues holiness according to the demands of his or her state of life and personal vocation. The pursuit of personal holiness and the growth of the Church's sanctification are linked, for the Church bears fruit and grows when the faithful strive in their daily lives to attain the fullness of Christian life.
Pope Leo XIV reminded the Church that mission, communion, and holiness are not abstract aspirations, but realities that must be embodied in daily life, and that these realities are protected by canon law. «We are not little gardeners dedicated to tending our own gardens, but we are disciples and witnesses of the Kingdom of God, called to be in Christ the leaven of universal brotherhood among different peoples, different religions, among women and men of every language and culture. And this happens if we are the first to live as brothers and sisters and make the light of communion shine in the world» (Leo XIV, Address to the Roman Curia, December 22, 2025).
Nigeria: the 130 missing kidnapped students released at Christmas
Catholics in northwestern Nigeria are celebrating the release of the last group of students (130) kidnapped from St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, Nigeria. All of the kidnapping victims will celebrate Christmas at home.
Church authorities have confirmed that the 130 students who remained to be released from the kidnapping of more than 300 students from the diocesan school in Niger State (Nigeria) were freed on December 21. This brings an end to a month-long ordeal. The news was announced yesterday.
“We thank God for the release of the children and staff kidnapped from St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri. Thank you for your prayers, support, and efforts. May God grant lasting peace and security to our country and the whole world,” said the sisters in Nigeria in a Facebook post. The school is owned by the Diocese of Kontagora and run by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles.
It is unclear who kidnapped the children from the Catholic school or whether a ransom was paid to secure their release.
Release confirmed
Two days ago, on December 21, Father Jatau Luka Joseph, secretary of the diocese, confirmed the release. At the same time, he thanked all those who contributed to the safe return of the victims, including the Nigerian government, the Niger state government, and the security services.
“We also extend our sincere gratitude to parents, guardians, clergy, religious communities, humanitarian organizations, and the general public for their prayers, support, and solidarity during this difficult period,” the priest said in a statement.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora remains committed to the protection, welfare, and safety of all pupils, students, and staff, and will continue to collaborate with all relevant authorities to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment.
The Nigerian federal government celebrated the release of the children and said it was a fitting end to the year and that no students remained in captivity.
Public shelter in Nigeria, following the murder of the deputy headmistress and kidnapping of 25 students. Days later, 300 students and 12 teachers from a Catholic school were kidnapped and have been released in stages. (OSV News/Africa Independent Television via Reuters).
Gradual release
On December 14, the captors released to the first large group (100) of students, including 14 high school students, one staff member, 80 elementary school students, and five kindergarteners. At least 50 of the children had escaped from their captors in November, shortly after the kidnapping.
However, there were still those who have now been released. “It is not known for certain whether there are any missing persons: the police claim that all those kidnapped are free, including the staff, while investigations continue.”, informs the official Vatican agency.
Federal government
“The federal government stands in solidarity with the parents and guardians of the students for the agony caused by the kidnapping, and wishes them a happy family reunion, a good healing process, happy holidays, and a Merry Christmas,” said Mohammed Idris, Nigeria's Minister of Information and National Orientation.
Appeal from the Pope
Pope Leo XIV expressed his “immense sadness at the news of the kidnapping of priests and students in Nigeria and Cameroon” during the Angelus on November 23, the Solemnity of Christ the King. And he made a appeal urgent for the kidnapped hostages to be released.
The Pontiff urged “the competent authorities to take the necessary measures to achieve this. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours, and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope.”.
Since then, various Church institutions have launched prayer campaigns for this intention. For example, ACN, together with the Church in Nigeria, denounced the brutal escalation of violence, which is not only anti-Christian. Indeed, the Nigerian bishops stated that “we are deeply concerned because Muslims and many other innocent citizens have also been victims.”.
Trump denounced the situation.
On the other hand, in early November, US President Donald Trump, had reported the situation of Christians in Nigeria, and threatened the country with suspending US aid, and even military intervention, if the Nigerian government did not act quickly to stop the attacks on Christian communities.
Bishop: “the best gift”
In his Christmas message on December 20, Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora, who is also president of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State, said that this year's Christmas served as a poignant reminder of shared hope.
“Like the 2025 theme, ‘The Greatest Gifts from Heaven,’ the best gift the Church can hope for this year is to welcome back our children and teachers who are still in captivity before Christmas Day,” Bishop Yohanna had said.
“In these difficult times, when most parents can no longer sleep or eat, let us extend our love through our prayers, because more than four weeks have passed since the incident occurred,” he added just two days before all the children were released.
Diocese territory, epicenter of violence
His diocese is part of the ecclesiastical province of Kaduna, a region that has recently become the epicenter of ethnic, religious, and political violence. In the state of the same name, gangs kidnap and murder for ransom, rivaling the state of Borno, the birthplace of the infamous terrorist group Boko Haram.
November saw a wave of kidnappings in the African country, with more than 400 people abducted in just 15 days. At the end of the month, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a national state of emergency and ordered the immediate recruitment of new forces to combat the armed groups.
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– Fredrick Nzwili writes for OSV News from Nairobi, Kenya.
The Pope thanks priests and encourages them to share responsibilities with the laity
Most of the letter focused on fidelity, missionary commitment, and the recognition that a priest's vocation arises from his baptism, a sacrament he shares with all Catholics.
At a time when so much pressure and so many demands are placed on priests, they must find support, freedom, and relief in recognizing the gifts of the laity and collaborating with them, said Pope Leo XIV.
«The ministry of the priest must overcome the model of exclusive leadership, which leads to the centralization of pastoral activities and the weight of all responsibilities entrusted solely to him,» wrote the Pope in an apostolic letter entitled «A fidelity that generates future.».
The letter, published on December 22, marks the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's decrees on priestly formation and on the life and ministry of priests. Optatam totius y Presbyterorum ordinis.
Pope Leo XIV used the letter to express his «gratitude for the witness and dedication of all priests throughout the world who offer their lives by celebrating the sacrifice of Our Lord in the Eucharist, proclaiming the Word, and absolving sins, as well as generously devoting themselves each day to their brothers and sisters, fostering communion and unity among them, and taking special care of those who suffer most and are in need.».
Training in seminars
He also said that the Church must «look carefully and compassionately» at the backgrounds of priests who have left active ministry and ensure that seminary programs engage «the whole person, the heart, the mind, and the freedom» to help men make a lifelong commitment.
Pope Leo XIV did not ignore the crisis of clerical sexual abuse and said that it also showed the importance of thorough preparation for ministry.
«In recent decades, the crisis of confidence in the Church caused by abuses committed by members of the clergy has filled us with shame and called us to humility,» he wrote. «It has made us even more aware of the urgent need for comprehensive training that ensures the personal growth and maturity of candidates for the priesthood, along with a rich and solid spiritual life.».
Celibacy
The letter did not mention that in several Eastern Catholic churches, married men can be ordained as priests. But it insisted that «only priests and consecrated persons who are humanly mature and spiritually solid, that is, those in whom the human and spiritual dimensions are well integrated and who are therefore capable of authentic relationships with everyone, can take on the commitment of celibacy and credibly proclaim the Gospel of the Risen One.».
Most of the letter focused on fidelity, missionary commitment, and the recognition that a priest's vocation arises from his baptism, a sacrament he shares with all Catholics.
«Our contemporary world, characterized by its fast pace and the anxious need to be hyperconnected, often makes us feel rushed and inclines us toward activism,» wrote the Pope.
Priestly temptations
Two very negative consequences that can tempt priests, he said, are «an efficiency-oriented mindset, whereby each person's value is measured by performance» or simply withdrawing, «adopting a lazy and defeatist approach.».
Pope Leo XIV told priests that nothing can replace time devoted to personal prayer and the celebration of the sacraments and the cultivation of a special bond of brotherhood with fellow priests, but that this should never lead to a feeling of superiority over the laity.
«Even before dedicating himself to guiding the flock,» wrote the Pope, «every priest must constantly remember that he himself is a disciple of the Master, like his brothers and sisters.».
Synodality
In the letter, the Pope emphasized the importance of involving priests in efforts to create a more synodal Church, characterized by mutual listening, joint discernment of God's will, and recognition that every baptized Catholic has something to contribute to the mission of the Church.
«Communion, synodality, and mission cannot be realized if, in the hearts of priests, the temptation of self-referentiality does not give way to a mentality of listening and service,» wrote Pope Leo XIV. In encouraging a more synodal Church, he said, «there is still much to be done.».
A priest is called to let Christ's love and mercy shine through him, the Pope said, so he must avoid «all forms of selfishness and self-celebration.».
For this reason, Pope Leo XIV encouraged priests to carefully evaluate their presence in the media and on social networks, “placing service to evangelization as the basis for discernment,” because, as 1 Corinthians says, “everything is lawful for me, but not everything is beneficial.”.
Christ's mission and communion, central themes of Leo XIV's greeting to the Curia
The double appeal to carry out Christ's mission and a missionary Church, and to be “builders of Christ's communion,” marked the Pope's Christmas greeting to the cardinals and superiors of the Roman Curia. Referring to communion, he warned that there is “the risk of falling victim to rigidity and ideology.”.
Francisco Otamendi-December 22, 2025-Reading time: 4minutes
This Monday, on the eve of the solemnity of the Nativity of Jesus, Pope Leo XIV and the cardinals and superiors of the Roman Curia exchanged Christmas greetings.
One might consider sending brief Christmas greetings, replying to the Cardinal Dean, as a way of getting through this busy time of year.
However, the Pope has taken advantage of his Speech to delve into fundamental concepts such as mission and communion in the Church, and a call to personal conversion, with explicit references to two Councils: Nicaea and Vatican II. Here are some of his words.
In the light of Christmas
The Pontiff began by reminding us that “the light of Christmas comes to meet us, inviting us to rediscover the newness that, from the humble cave in Bethlehem, runs through human history (...). God became flesh, became our brother, and remains forever as God-with-us.”.
Promoting evangelization
His first reference was to Pope Francis, who passed away this year. “His prophetic voice, his pastoral style, and his rich teaching,” he said, “have marked the path of the Church in recent years, encouraging us above all to put God's mercy back at the center, to give greater impetus to evangelization, to be a joyful and cheerful Church, welcoming to all, attentive to the poorest.”.
Pope Francis drew inspiration from his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium to speak about “two fundamental aspects of the life of the Church: mission and communion.”.
“The Church is, by nature, extroverted, open to the world, missionary,” he emphasized. “It has received from Christ the gift of the Spirit to bring the good news of God's love to all.”.
Evangelizing mission of the Church
Evangelii gaudium encourages us to move forward in the missionary transformation of the Church, which finds its inexhaustible strength in the mandate of the Risen Christ.
‘In this “going forth” of Jesus, the ever-new scenarios and challenges of the Church’s evangelizing mission are present, and we are all called to this new missionary “going forth” (EG, 20).’.
And “the first great “exodus”, therefore, is that of God, who comes out of himself to meet us. The mystery of Christmas announces precisely this: the mission of the Son consists in his coming into the world (cf. St. Augustine, The Trinity, IV, 20.28).”.
“Structures should not hinder, stop the spread of the Gospel, or impede the dynamism of evangelization; on the contrary, we must ‘ensure that all of them become more missionary’ (Evangelii gaudium, 27).”
And of the Roman Curia
Therefore, in the spirit of baptismal co-responsibility, we are all called to participate in Christ's mission, said the Pope. “We need a Roman Curia that is increasingly missionary, where institutions, offices, and tasks are designed to address today's great ecclesial, pastoral, and social challenges, and not just to ensure ordinary administration.».
Communion: “In Illo uno unum”
At the same time, the mission in the life of the Church is closely linked to communion, the Pope pointed out. “Christmas reminds us that Jesus came to reveal to us the true face of God as Father, so that we could all be his children and, therefore, brothers and sisters among ourselves.
This task is more urgent than ever, both internally and externally. Internally, “because communion in the Church always remains a challenge that calls us to conversion. Sometimes, behind an apparent tranquility, the ghosts of division stir.”.
“Risk of falling victim to rigidity and ideology”
"In interpersonal relationships, in the internal dynamics of offices and roles, or when dealing with issues related to faith, liturgy, morality, and others, there is a risk of falling victim to rigidity and ideology, with the contradictions that this implies,” he said.
But “we are the Church of Christ, we are its members, its body. We are brothers and sisters in Him. And in Christ, even though we are many and different, we are one: “In Illo uno unum,”” he reiterated, returning to his papal motto.
We are also called, especially here in the Curia, he said, “to be builders of Christ's communion, which asks to be configured as a synodal Church, where everyone collaborates and cooperates in the same mission, each according to their own charism and the role they have received.”.
Personal conversion: “Christ at the center.”.
There is a personal conversion that we must desire and pursue, so that in our relationships the love of Christ that makes us brothers and sisters may shine through. (...) Dear brothers and sisters, mission and communion are possible if we put Christ at the center.
Finally, the Successor of Peter recalled “that fifty years ago, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi was promulgated by Saint Paul VI.”.
Christian witness
This Exhortation highlights, among other things, two realities that the Pope has emphasized: the mission of evangelization and witness: “the primary means of evangelization is an authentically Christian life, dedicated to God in a communion that nothing should interrupt and at the same time consecrated equally to one's neighbor with boundless zeal” (n. 41).
The papal petition concluded: “May the Lord give us his own condescension, his own compassion, his love, so that every day we may be his disciples and witnesses. I sincerely wish you all a Holy Christmas. May the Lord bring us his light and grant peace to the world.”.
With the workers of the Curia, before the Nativity scene
Shortly afterwards, the Pope met with workers from the Roman Curia, the Vatican Governorate, and the Vicariate of Rome. In a family atmosphere, Leo XIV spoke about the Belen, “which is also present here, in this nativity scene donated by Costa Rica.”.
In the nativity scene, “popular imagination has often included numerous figures from everyday life who populate the space surrounding the cave,” he said. “Thus, in addition to the inevitable shepherds, protagonists of the event according to the Gospel, we find figures representing various trades: the blacksmith, the innkeeper, the washerwoman, the knife sharpener, etc.”.
The figures: our occupations, full meaning in God's plan
These are trades from times gone by: some have disappeared or been completely transformed, he commented. “However, they retain their significance within the nativity scene. They remind us that all our activities, our daily occupations, take on their full meaning in God's plan, centered on Jesus Christ.”.
Christmas is the point where philosophical wisdom is transformed into the concrete truth of the Incarnation, demonstrating that the Light sought by man descends and becomes a baby to be adored.
Two caves have marked a turning point in human history: Plato's cave and the cave of Bethlehem. The first is a myth narrated by a Greek philosopher in the fourth century BC; the second is a historical event recorded by Luke in his Gospel.
The Platonic myth tells the story of prisoners chained inside a cave since birth, where they only see shadows projected on the wall and mistake them for reality. One is freed, first discovers fire and then, upon leaving, the true world and the sun, the cause of all that is visible. Upon returning to help the others and free them, he is rejected and ridiculed. This allegory describes the transition from ignorance to knowledge and the philosopher's mission to guide others toward the truth, even in the face of resistance (Republic, VII, 514a–517a).
The scene in Bethlehem is very different: a silent night, a humble cave used as a shelter for animals, dark and unadorned. There, Mary gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7).
Four hundred years apart, both stories begin in a cave: a narrow entrance, a wider interior, dim light that soon turns to darkness; cold, damp, and thick air. The floor, uneven and slippery from leaks, is accompanied by echoes that amplify any sound, in a silence that invites contemplation, creating an atmosphere of mystery and sacredness.
In both stories, darkness is the starting point, but both end in light: in Plato, an external light that reveals the truth; in Bethlehem, an internal light that comes from God made man. For Plato, man must go out to encounter reality; in Christianity, it is necessary to go in to encounter the One who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14:6). Plato's cave requires human effort and philosophical education to reach the good; the cave of Bethlehem shows a God who freely offers himself as our only Good.
In Plato, man emerges from darkness into light to display his most divine faculty: intelligence; in Jesus, on the other hand, Light descends into darkness to manifest the most human dimension of God: a newborn baby.
In the Gospel, the shepherds were sleeping in the open when “the angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord enveloped them in light” (Luke 2:8-9); in Plato, the prisoners must be awakened by someone they consider to be mad. The transition from sleep to wakefulness, from chains to freedom, from ignorance to knowledge, the grace of conversion... always involves an awakening to reality.
The cave in Bethlehem, a place of shadows, was filled with a light that came not from fire or the sun, but from Eternity made flesh. It was as if the sun of Truth, of which the philosophers spoke, had entered the cave of men, not to call them from outside, but to illuminate them from within.
Both accounts agree that light radically transforms our vision of reality, but they differ in the origin and manner of achieving it: in Plato, it is the result of man's ascension; in Christianity, it is the result of God's descent in the Incarnation. For Plato, it is the encounter with reality; for God, it is the encounter with man. As St. Augustine wrote in the Confessions (X, 27): “Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you. And you were within me, and I was outside... You were with me, but I was not with you.”.
Christmas reminds us that the Incarnation of the Son of God accomplishes the highest synthesis that the human mind, on its own, could never have imagined: truth is not only a matter of scholarship, but, in Jesus Christ, it is above all a matter of worship. The eternal Logos requires study, but a study that must be done on one's knees.
The Christmas liturgy offers us the opportunity to celebrate four Masses at different times: the Vigil Mass, Midnight Mass, Dawn Mass, and Day Mass. Each has its own beauty, but I am particularly drawn to the Dawn Mass. Dawn is a particularly beautiful and luminous time of day, and its symbolism captures the mystery of Christmas in a deeply expressive way.
In the Benedictus Zechariah proclaims that “Through the tender mercy of our God, the sun rising from on high will visit us, to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death.”At Christmas, this sun that rises from on high truly dawns upon us. Jesus Christ is the true Dawn that has come. The antiphon of the Vigil Mass echoes this: “And tomorrow you will see the glory of the Lord." (Exodus 16, 7).
Another reason why I like the Dawn Mass is because of the choice of readings. In St. Paul's letter to Titus, we read: “When the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind was revealed”(Titus 3:4). This is the true Dawn: the tenderness and goodness of God revealed in the person of the Child Jesus. This tenderness is not sentimental; it draws us in. It is a force.
Christmas is the rediscovery of God's revelation in the Child Jesus, in a way that allows us to draw closer to Him. As a child, He comes to us helpless, poor, and vulnerable, so that we can draw closer to Him in the same way. Joseph Ratzinger comments: “In the Child Jesus, the defenselessness of God's love is manifested in the most obvious way: God comes unarmed because he does not want to conquer from the outside, but to win from the inside, to transform from within. If there is anything that can overcome man, his arrogance, his violence, and his greed, it is the defenselessness of a child. God took it upon himself in order to overcome us and thus lead us to ourselves.".
God comes to us with radical tenderness, and this is the love that changes the world. From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has encouraged us not to be afraid of tenderness. It is not a virtue of the weak, but a sign of inner strength and capacity for attention, compassion, and love. He affirms: “We must not be afraid of kindness, of tenderness!”.
This is precisely what the shepherds set out to see in the Gospel of the Dawn Mass. “Let's go to Bethlehem!” These words from the shepherds express the true meaning and spirit of Christmas celebrations. They remain valid for all Christians, especially during this Christmas season. Let us go and see what the Lord has revealed to us. This should be our attitude at Christmas. We have received the news of the birth of a child; let us go forward to see that Child, to confirm the sign of God's tenderness that has been revealed to us in a baby. The invitation to set out on the road to Bethlehem is an invitation to encounter God's joy, goodness, and tenderness, and then to share them.
We want to start afresh at this Christmas time because we know that contact with the loving kindness of our God will always give us the strength and impetus to continue on our path. It is the strength of humble love, as Dostoyevsky so beautifully expresses it in The Brothers Karamazov, where the starets Zosima says to Alexei: “Always choose humble love, always. Once you have chosen it, you will always have what you need to conquer the whole world. Loving humility is a powerful force, the most powerful, and there is nothing in the world that can compare to it.."
We want to start again from this powerful force. A few weeks ago, we began the new liturgical year, and as Ratzinger pointed out, the liturgical calendar did not initially develop from the perspective of Christ's birth, but from faith in his resurrection. It was Easter, not Christmas, that gave the first impetus to the Christian faith and the existence of the Church. Today, this impetus can be rediscovered in the power of a child's tenderness. Let us go to Bethlehem, because there “the goodness of God our Savior and his love for mankind was revealed".
The Pope blesses a sea of figures of the Baby Jesus, held by Saint Joseph
During the Angelus on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, on the eve of the Nativity of the Savior, Pope Leo IV blessed hundreds of figures of the Child Jesus carried by children and adults in Rome. He also highlighted the faith of Saint Joseph., who “leaves the last shore of their security and sails out to sea in the hands of God.”.
Once again, as Christmas approaches, the Nativity scene has taken center stage in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican during the Angelus prayer. Pope Leo XIV blessed numerous figures of the Baby Jesus, carried mainly by children, but also by older catechists and their families, “who will place them in the manger from their homes, schools, and oratories.”.
Pray that the children of the world may live in peace.
“Dear children, before the manger, pray to Jesus also for the Pope’s intentions. In particular, let us pray together that all children in the world may live in peace. Thank you!, has stated The Pope, who today invited in the Angelus to dwell on the figure of Saint Joseph.
The initiative corresponds to the Roman Oratory Center, launched in 1969 by Saint Paul VI, and this is the first time that the Pope has asked children to pray for his intentions.
A man holds a figure of the Baby Jesus to be blessed by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on December 21, 2025. (Photo CNS/Vatican Media).
Saint Joseph: “fragile like us, but courageous and strong in faith”
“Today, the fourth Sunday of Advent, the liturgy invites us to meditate on the figure of St. Joseph. It presents him to us, in particular, at the moment when God reveals his mission to him in a dream (cf. Mt 1:18-24), the Pope began his Speech before the Angelus prayer.
In this way, he said, “he offers us a beautiful page in the history of salvation, whose protagonist is a fragile and fallible man—like us—and, at the same time, courageous and strong in faith.
We see this when, even before the Angel reveals to him the mystery that is being fulfilled in Mary, faced with a situation that is difficult to understand and accept, “he does not choose the path of scandal and public condemnation of his future wife, but the discreet and benevolent path of secret repudiation (cf.ibid.),” added the Successor of Peter.
In this way, “he shows that he has grasped the deepest meaning of his own religious observance: that of mercy.”.
Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims accompanying him in praying the Angelus in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on December 21, 2025. (Photo CNS/Vatican Media).
Leave your comforts behind and sail out to sea
The Pontiff emphasized that “the purity and nobility of his feelings become even more evident when the Lord, in dreams, reveals his plan of salvation to him, indicating the unexpected role he must assume: to be the husband of the Virgin Mother of the Messiah.”.
He particularly emphasized the faith of the holy Patriarch. “Here, in fact, Joseph, with a great act of faith, also leaves the last shore of his securities and sails out to sea toward a future that is now entirely in God's hands. St. Augustine describes his consent in this way: «Through Joseph's piety and charity, a son was born to the Virgin Mary, a Son who was also the Son of God» (Sermon 51, 30).
Compassion, charity, mercy, abandonment to the Lord
“Compassion and charity, mercy and abandonment; these are the virtues of the man from Nazareth that the liturgy proposes to us today, to accompany us in these last days of Advent, towards Holy Christmas.”.
The Pope has encouraged us to practice these virtues, “forgiving, encouraging, giving a little hope to those we live with and those we meet; and renewing in prayer our filial abandonment to the Lord and his Providence, entrusting everything to him with confidence.”.
May the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, who were the first to welcome Jesus, the Savior of the world, with great faith and love, help us in this, the Pope concluded.
Soccer and collateral damage: how LaLiga takes down the Omnes website
The blocks are activated on days and at times when the likelihood of illegal broadcasts is highest, i.e., Saturdays and Sundays and, above all, when the big teams are playing.
Every weekend—especially when Real Madrid or FC Barcelona are playing—access to our website is unavailable in Spain through the main Internet providers. This is not a coincidence or simply a spike in traffic: since late 2024, techniques have been activated to cut off illegal broadcasts of matches, which, in practice, are causing “collateral damage” to thousands of legitimate sites. LaLiga, protected by court rulings issued by several commercial courts, has obtained authorization to carry out massive blockages.
Blocking is activated on days and at times when illegal retransmissions are most likely to occur, i.e., Saturdays and Sundays and, above all, when the big teams are playing. When anti-piracy teams identify IPs that are pirating matches, they order operators to block them. Since many websites (media outlets, stores, services) use the same CDNs or IP addresses, the outages spread and are perceived as widespread “crashes.”.
Criticism
Internet user organizations, digital associations, and some media outlets have denounced the practice for its lack of proportionality and for the risk it poses to rights such as freedom of information. Complaints have been filed with the Ombudsman, and the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) has expressed concerns about the impact of these measures. For its part, LaLiga argues that its interventions are legally justified and seek to protect the audiovisual market.
The debate is not just technical: it raises questions about proportionality, who decides and with what guarantees when global infrastructure can be shut down for private and judicial reasons, and about the need for mechanisms that allow piracy to be tackled without jeopardizing public services, businesses, and freedom of information.
Internet user associations warn of the danger of normalizing mass blocking at the request of private interests; LaLiga, on the other hand, calls for effective tools to defend rights for which hundreds of millions are paid.
Humorous note
Faced with this ordeal of Sunday blackouts, at Omnes we have decided that if LaLiga wants to play at being the Grand Inquisitor of the internet, we will start our own digital reconquest. We have officially launched a crowdfunding campaign of biblical proportions with a clear objective: to achieve the miracle of multiplying euros to exceed Tebas‘ income statement, acquire exclusive rights, and replace soccer with a spiritual fast, where the Golden Boot goes to the one who journeys with the most faith through the desert of ’Error 404“ and IP blocks while waiting for the connection to return.
Among our proposals to restore the natural order, we plan to replace VAR with the Last Judgment (where there will be no replays, only divine justice), exchange red cards for mandatory acts of contrition in the center circle, and, of course, launch our own satellite network christened «Broadband Cherubs.».
If they persist in turning Sunday into a desert of connection, we will turn their empire into a humble sacristy: because man does not live by soccer alone, especially when they cut off the signal in the middle of the informative liturgy.
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Twenty years after the death of Saint John Paul II, this article revisits his teachings on the media, understood as a service—an authentic diaconate—to truth, the common good, and the dignity of the person.
In its desire to be present in the world and carry out its mission of evangelizing all peoples, the Church has paid particular attention to the media, especially since the mid-20th century. Within this vast body of teaching, the pontificate of St. John Paul II was especially prolific and intense, not only in terms of the number of texts or references, but also in terms of media attention, a phenomenon unparalleled until that moment in the history of the Church. This is demonstrated by the regular meetings he held with media and entertainment professionals from the beginning of his mission at the head of the See of Peter until the end, as evidenced by the gathering in Rome of journalists from around the world on the occasion of the Jubilee of 2000.
Similarly, his decision to appoint a renowned journalist as spokesperson and entrust him with the professionalization of the Vatican's institutional communications was surprising. On the other hand, his messages on the occasion of World Communications Day and his speeches to the members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications stand out. All this vast corpus magisterial has also been the subject of various studies and compilations. In this article, we aim to highlight the most fundamental ideas.
A media-savvy Pope
It is clear to everyone that Saint John Paul II possessed exceptional qualities as a “media personality,” thanks to his theatrical background, his broad culture, his interest in contemporary world affairs, and his constant attention—a true pastoral concern—to ordinary people (young people, workers, fathers, and mothers). All of this facilitated his “connection” with media professionals, which translated into mutual closeness, respect, and admiration. As one of them put it:
“An athlete and actor, his body is a means of expression and communication. A valuable instrument at the service of his mission (...). This is one of the secrets of Wojtyła's media phenomenon. His charisma lies in his transparency. He has a personal charm that is expressed in the way he looks, smiles, and moves. An attitude so warm that it is irresistibly seductive.” Even some of his less favorable biographers, such as Berstein and Politi, acknowledge that “John Paul II was the first pope to understand the television age, the first to master the medium, to handle a microphone, the first pope who was accustomed to improvising, who was not afraid to perform in public.”.
Behind this closeness and familiarity lies a deep conviction about the role that the Church must play in contemporary society, where Christians are called to be protagonists in the battle for the soul of the world, which is being fought above all in the “new Areopagus,” among which the media stands out. This is what this holy Pope specifically pointed out: “The first Areopagus of modern times is the world of communication, which is unifying humanity and transforming it—as they say—into a ‘global village’.
Social media has become so important that for many it is the main source of information and education, guidance and inspiration for individual, family, and social behavior. The younger generations, in particular, are growing up in a world conditioned by these media. Perhaps this forum has been somewhat neglected: other instruments for evangelization and Christian formation are generally given priority, while social media are left to the initiative of individuals or small groups, and are included in pastoral planning only at a secondary level. It seems clear that St. John Paul II was well aware of this deficit and of the need to address it from the very beginning of his time at the helm of Peter's Barque. Hence his initiative to professionalize the Sala Stampa and create a new culture of institutional relations with the media.
Gifts from God
In line with what the Church has been saying for the last half-century, Pope Wojtyła emphasizes the positive nature of the media, seeing them as gifts from God that should be used for good: “The media,” he says, "are the ticket of admission for every man and woman to the modern marketplace, where opinions are publicly expressed, ideas are exchanged, news circulates, and information of all kinds is transmitted and received. For all these gifts, we give thanks to God..." The confirmation of this reality does not respond solely to the desire to reaffirm previous teaching; rather, it is the fruit of his own personal conviction and pastoral experience.
At the same time, in line with the Magisterium, he emphasizes the instrumental nature of these gifts, which as such can be used in the service of man and society or against them. “The Church's relationship with the media is complex and requires constant reflection,” he explains. "On the one hand, the Church sees the media as having endless potential, not only for the dissemination of information, the creation and communication of art and culture, recreation and the improvement of the human spirit, but also for the growth and strengthening of the kingdom of God. At the same time, it is painfully aware of the damage that can be inflicted on individuals and society by the misuse of these instruments." These words summarize the other main aspects that he develops in his teaching and which we will discuss below.
Agents of socialization and acculturation
It is significant that in one of his first messages on the occasion of World Communications Day (1980), Saint John Paul II referred to the influential power of the media “in the process of socialization of young people, facilitating a vision of man, the world, and relationships with others that often differs profoundly from that which the family tries to transmit.”.
That same year, speaking before UNESCO, he stated: “Since these media are ‘social’ media, they cannot be used to dominate others, either by political powers or by financial powers that impose their agenda and their model. They must become the means of expression of the society that uses them and that also ensures their existence. They must take into account the real needs of this society. (...) They must take into account the good of humanity and its dignity. They cannot be subject to the criteria of interest, sensationalism, or immediate success, but rather, taking into account ethical requirements, they must serve to build a ‘more humane’ life.”.
In fact, not only does “communication generate culture,” but “culture is transmitted through communication,” as he also points out. This is the basis for the crucial issue underlying the case of the media, which is their power of social and cultural influence; or, in other words, their role as agents of socialization and acculturation. “This is a phenomenon of vast proportions,” he continues, "sustained by powerful social media campaigns that tend to propose lifestyles, social and economic projects and, ultimately, a general vision of reality that internally erodes distinct cultural organizations and noble civilizations. Due to their outstanding scientific and technical nature, Western cultural models are fascinating and attractive, but unfortunately, and with increasing evidence, they show a progressive humanistic, spiritual, and moral impoverishment.".
Thus, the content transmitted by the media—whether informative or purely entertaining—is never innocuous. It reflects a particular anthropological and sociological vision. The communicative process itself is the basis for the creation of culture, of a way of seeing and understanding what surrounds us, and very particularly, man himself. The Holy Father emphasizes this in the following way:
“The human person and the human community are the end and measure of the use of social communication media; communication should be carried out from person to person, with a view to their integral development.” “Because the mass media always respond to a certain conception of man, whether they deal with current events, address cultural issues, or are used for artistic expression or entertainment; and they are evaluated according to how accurate and complete this conception is.
Undoubtedly, this influential power carries with it a serious moral responsibility, as Pope Wojtyła himself emphasizes: “We know that the media exert a great influence on the formation of consciences and, consequently, on the moral sphere. Therefore, we must first pay attention to the fact that the media help people to form their consciences and moral attitudes in a way that not only respects God's law, but also defends human nature, which is the bearer of an innate and inalienable dignity that must be respected in all circumstances.” “Thus, with regard to content, we must always appeal to the sense of responsibility of communicators and to the critical sense of those who receive the communication.”.
Service to truth and the common good
From what has been said so far, it is clear that there is a close and necessary link between communication and truth and, therefore, between communication and the common good. This is an aspect that St. John Paul II wanted to emphasize from the beginning of his pontificate: communication as a service to truth and the common good. Already in a meeting with media professionals in Mexico (1979), just a few months after being elected Pope, he called them “seekers of truth” and exhorted them: “Serve above all the truth, that which builds, that which improves and dignifies man.”.
And that same year, speaking to communications professionals at the UN, he confided: “You are true servants of the truth; you are its tireless transmitters, disseminators, defenders. You are dedicated transmitters, promoting unity among all nations by enabling all peoples to share the truth. (...) Be faithful to the truth and its transmission, because the truth endures; the truth will not disappear. The truth will not pass away or change. And I say to you (...) that service to the truth, service to humanity through the truth, is one of the most valuable things of your best years, of your subtle talents and of your most strenuous dedication. As transmitters of the truth, you are instruments of understanding among people and of peace among nations.”.
Seekers, transmitters, disseminators, defenders, servants... It is difficult to find a longer string of adjectives to describe the duty of communication professionals to the truth. In this regard, another speech given in 1982 to representatives of the media in Madrid is equally relevant. In it, he emphasized: “I have uttered a well-considered word: service. Because, in effect, with your work you serve and must serve the cause of man in his integrity: in his body, in his spirit, in his need for honest recreation, for cultural and religious nourishment, for correct moral criteria for his individual and social life.” And with strong emphasis, he asserted: “The search for the unyielding truth requires constant effort, it requires placing oneself at the appropriate level of knowledge and critical selection. It is not easy, we know that well. (...) If complete and total objectivity is difficult, the struggle to find the truth, the decision to propose the truth, the practice of not manipulating the truth, the attitude of being incorruptible in the face of the truth, are not difficult.”.
It is, in essence, a diaconia, as St. John Paul II himself explains in the encyclical Faith and ReasonAmong the various services that the Church must offer humanity, there is one for which it is responsible in a very particular way: the diaconate of truth. This is a diaconate in which the media and other cultural agents also participate. Thus, we can affirm that “if the media are used well, they can help us to know the truth and free us from ignorance, prejudice, isolation, and the violation of human dignity that occurs when the media are manipulated for the purpose of controlling and limiting human thought.”.
This insistence on defending the truth remained unchanged until the end of his pontificate. It is revealing that he referred to it again during the Jubilee for Journalists in 2000: “In this great journey of humanity, the truth of the human person, created in the image of God and destined for eternal communion with him, is also manifested; and the truth is revealed, which is the foundation of all ethics and which you are also called to observe in your profession (...): you are called to consecrate your professionalism to the service of the moral and spiritual good of individuals and the human community.”.
A profession with a vocational background
In light of the above, it is easy to understand the high esteem in which St. John Paul II held communication professionals. That is why he described this profession as a “vocation that is so relevant and beautiful,” benefiting from the “nobility of the task” they undertake; “a service of incalculable importance,” “a task that is in a certain sense ‘sacred.’” For this very reason, he refers to them not only as “servants of the truth” but even as “dispensers and administrators of immense spiritual power.” He concludes: “There is no doubt that mass media Today, they are one of the great forces shaping the world, and in this field a growing number of well-gifted and highly trained people are called to find their own work and the possibility of exercising their own vocation. The Church thinks of them with attentive and respectful affection, and prays for them. Few professions require as much energy, dedication, integrity, and responsibility as this one, and at the same time, few professions have such an impact on the destiny of humanity.
The world of media has undergone exponential growth in recent decades. However, these words can continue to inspire new generations of professionals in this sector. After all, technology evolves, the world changes, but human nature remains the same.
The authorAlejandro Pardo
Priest. Doctor in Audiovisual Communication and Moral Theology. Professor of the Core Curriculum Institute of the University of Navarra.
"But we do not resign ourselves—whether many or few, I do not know—to losing or ceasing to think about the conception of man as the image of God.".
December 21, 2025-Reading time: 2minutes
Fulton J. Sheen wrote in 1948 in Communism and Western Consciousness that the conscience of the Western world is at stake, “since it has lost the concept of man as a being made in the image and likeness of God and has reduced him to an integral part of the universe, an economic animal or a physiological bag full of psychological libido.
He added: “When man became materialized and atomized in Western thought, it was only natural that a form of totalitarianism should emerge that would bring the fragments together into a new whole and replace the individual man, isolated from all social responsibilities, with the collective.”.
It does not seem that the situation has changed 77 years later. But we are not resigned—whether there are many or few of us, I do not know—to the loss or abandonment of the concept of man as the image of God. Indeed, the ontological degradation of the human being leads to collectivism, because en masse things and people seem to have greater consistency. That is why statistics is the queen of sciences, and quantitative evaluation reigns supreme over qualitative evaluation.
We refuse to be subsumed by this collectivism or to be considered machines, cockroaches, poorly finished chimpanzees, or specks of dust. With Renaissance humanism, a successful synthesis of Judeo-Christianity and Greco-Latin culture, we maintain that we are of divine lineage, the image of God, and even the image of Christ. And we do not say this because we are Eurocentric or vain, but because we seek the truth about man.
So-called artificial intelligence renews this debate, reminding us that the man who created it is more intelligent, and that man himself is not just computational: he is intelligent, rational, free, sensitive, passionate... and capable of God, a being in search of meaning, a homo sapiens before a homo habilis.
From a humanistic perspective, we review a culture focused on doing, subservient to technology and dominated by an omnipresent, bureaucratic state, a manufacturer of collective emotions (to paraphrase Simone Weil) and pontiff of substitute religions such as environmentalism and feminism. The question is to leave the media cave—reductionist, fragmentary, and mediated—and settle into the culture of the book rather than that of the tweet.
Ecology and feminism must be integrated into a unified, non-fragmentary anthropology that does not absolutize or messianize fragments. Nature and man; male and female. A comprehensive, humanistic vision that does not bow down before the calculator and the test tube: one that trusts in speculative and poetic reason, not geometric reason. A spirit of Pascalian finesse.
Humanism. The state for the people (not the other way around). Technology for the people (and not the other way around).
Antonio Barnés has just published Image of God, a dialogue on human dignity.
The date has been set for the first extraordinary Consistory presided over by Leo XIV. It will take place on January 7 and 8, and according to the brief statement issued by the Holy See announcing the meeting, it “will be characterized by moments of communion and fraternity, as well as times dedicated to reflection, exchange, and prayer.”.
There are currently 245 cardinals from around the world who make up the College of Cardinals. Those summoned will experience moments of “common discernment” and will offer “support and advice to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and serious responsibility in the government of the universal Church.”.
Pope Francis' last extraordinary Consistory was on August 29 and 30, 2022, where he summoned all the cardinals to discuss and present the reform of the Roman Curia with the new Apostolic Constitution., Praedicate Evangelium. Although there were ordinary consistories and the creation of new cardinals afterwards, that meeting in 2022
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The invisible creation, Asiel Timor Dei, Archangel musketeer
The Cuzco school broke with traditional conventions by depicting an archangel carrying an arquebus. Angels are messengers of God and protectors in the divine plan of salvation. Through the figure of the arquebusier archangel, their role as spiritual warriors defending the faithful is emphasized.
Eva Sierra and Antonio de la Torre-December 20, 2025-Reading time: 6minutes
ARTISTIC COMMENTARY
Angels were created by God before man. They are spirits without physical form, which has not prevented them from being depicted in Christian art for centuries. This painting, created in the 17th century by an anonymous Bolivian painter (circle of the Master of Calamarca), certainly does not fit in with the traditional idea we have of them: the title reveals the name of the angel, which appears inscribed in the upper left corner: Asiel Timor Dei, a name unfamiliar to us when compared, for example, to the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. This particular angel appears alone, occupying the entire pictorial plane; his legs cast their shadow against a neutral background, which helps to create a simple perspective, subtly dividing the space behind him. The clothing is period, very sophisticated, inspired by that of Creole and Andean nobles and aristocrats, with protruding sleeves and a luxurious jacket decorated with lace. The angel has no wings, but has prominent feathers hanging from his hat and is depicted in the act of pointing an arquebus. The palette used is quite limited, based on primary colors with few tonal variations, although there is an interest in detail and the use of gold to emphasize the importance of the character.
A celestial, military, and aristocratic representation
Looking at the painting without any knowledge of its context, it would be easy to think that we are looking at a period figure of someone of noble birth, perhaps a wealthy landowner or a soldier. Nothing, except the inscription with the name (for those viewers versed in Latin and the Bible), indicates that we are looking at an angel.
The Christian theologian Pseudo-Dionysius wrote, “From Coelesti Hierarchia” on angelology and the hierarchies of angels, which influenced medieval theologians. He divided angels into three hierarchies, each containing three orders based on their proximity to God. “The Assumption of the Virgin” Botticini's (1475-76) painting in the National Gallery in London shows a large number of them. The subject was well known in South America; in the former Viceroyalty of Peru, local artists such as Diego Quispe Tito and Basilio de Santa Cruz, or the Bolivians Melchor Pérez Holguín and Leonardo Flores, painted series of military angels carrying different types of weapons: these were custom commissions for distant locations. Our painting is an oil on canvas, which makes the work easily foldable, lightweight, and ready to be shipped to customers in faraway locations, although some are made of wood or copper.
Among these soldier angels are Saint Michael with a spear, with whom we are most familiar, Alamiel Dei with a trumpet and a crown, and the angels Zabriel, Hadriel, Leitiel, and Laeiel carrying arquebuses in different positions, among many others. The angels appear wielding all kinds of weapons of the period, but they are not depicted in battle. Their size varies between 120 cm and 2 meters in height.
Angels with arquebuses
All these characteristics give the paintings a unique style and original appearance. The prolific use of the arquebus and the distinctive features of these paintings explain the name “Arquebusier Angels.”.
This type of angel could have a connection with the ancient winged warriors of the pre-Hispanic pantheon. They may also have been inspired by Dutch and Spanish engravings of the time and by the widespread devotion to guardian angels. This shows that Western art was known in these lands, but local artists chose to mix it with their own representations inspired by the indigenous art that was more familiar to them. This is one of the great characteristics of art: the ability to adapt well-established models to new contexts and to the mentality of different peoples, conveying similar messages in a different visual form. These representations were widely disseminated because they resembled regional tastes.
CATECHETICAL COMMENTARY
The angelic figure, so splendidly dressed and armed, that we see in this painting expresses the Church's enduring belief in the existence of angels and their mission. Indeed, the Creed professes faith in the Creator of the earth and all that is visible (so well represented in Bosch's triptych, which we are already familiar with) and, at the same time, of heaven and all that is invisible. Both creations, although bearing different fruit, are simultaneous, but theology normally explains first the heavenly, or invisible, or spiritual, or angelic creation (which can be called by all these names), and then the earthly (or visible, or corporeal) creation. The reason for this is the excellence that Christian tradition has attributed to the spiritual over the sensible, as expressed, for example, by St. Thomas Aquinas in question 50 of the first part of the Summa Theologiae.
A transcendent savior figure
However, in the field of catechetical expression of faith, which is the focus of this series on Christian art, it is usually more pedagogical to begin with the visible creation, which is our first experience through the senses, and then move on to the invisible. Having explained the second place occupied in this series by Asiel's fascinating canvas, we can begin our explanation by considering the dark background that makes it stand out. In addition to being a suggestive pictorial device, it expresses that angels move in an invisible sphere, closer to the transcendent presence of God than the human sphere can reach with its mere natural forces. The darkness evokes, as in Bosch's triptych, that world which transcends human representation, just as the floral and luminous backgrounds that appear in other canvases of archangels remind us of their closeness to the visible world.
In fact, spiritual creatures, created like visible creatures by the Word of God, are at the service of the saving plan with which God, in Christ, has redeemed the entire creation. As St. Paul reminds us (Col 1:16), the invisible world was also created for Christ, and therefore they enter into his saving work as servants belonging to the invisible world destined for the good of the material world. This relationship of angels with material creation, especially with human beings, who are both spiritual and corporeal, is concretized in their mission as messengers and protectors.
In Sacred Scripture we find numerous examples of the first mission, such as the frequent appearances of the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament or the presence of angels as the first heralds of the Resurrection in the New Testament. The mission of protection, which also appears in numerous passages in both testaments, is expressed in this painting with the original figure of the soldier. A soldier, incidentally, who is not in the lower ranks of the army but, as his sophisticated attire, as luxurious as that of the great colonial nobles, shows, belongs to the excellent corps of the invisible army. It recalls one of the appearances of the Angel of the Lord to Joshua (Joshua 5:13-14): “Joshua looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ”Are you one of us or one of our enemies? ' He replied, 'No, I am the commander of the army of the Lord, and I have just arrived. Joshua fell face down to the ground and worshiped him.".
Protectors against evil
In Jewish tradition, inherited by the early Christians, angels protect God's people as powerful and noble warriors, as we can see in this quote from the Old Testament, and also in the Qumran writings, the apocryphal writings of Judaism, and the Book of Revelation itself. St. Paul himself reminds us that we need a very special strength and military equipment, “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the evil spirits in the air. Therefore, take up the weapons of God so that you may be able to resist” (Eph 6:12-13).
This archangel musketeer conveys with great forcefulness how well protected we are by the invisible world against the aggressions we encounter in life itself, especially those suffered at the hands of evil spiritual beings opposed to God (demons). But this archangel not only carries a powerful weapon, he also has a mysterious name: Asiel, which means fear of God. That the name of the Archangel expresses his mission is known thanks to the popularity of the three major Archangels: Saint Michael (Who is like God?), Saint Gabriel (Messenger of God) and Saint Raphael (Medicine of God). The name and mission of this archangel, however, are not easy to trace.
This is due, once again, to borrowings that Christian tradition took from Jewish tradition since its origins. In Judaism, speculation about the names of angels and their missions reached a very high level of development. Given the pressure of the evil presence in the world, there was a perceived need to know who the protectors of the faithful were and what each one's role was. Knowing the name of the archangel served to invoke him with the certainty of being heard. Knowing his mission was a guarantee of turning to the right intercessor on each occasion. On the other hand, knowing the name of a demon gave the ability to conjure him and neutralize his evil power, while it was very useful to know which demon was behind each evil suffered in order to identify the enemy.
From the long lists of angelic names in Judaism, Christian tradition took many names in a somewhat chaotic manner, so that the repertoire of angels to be painted presents a variety as wide as it is disordered, with the exception of the three Archangels already known. The presence of the angelic name and its meaning in this canvas, in short, reminds us how, since time immemorial, Christian tradition, including that present in Latin America, has recognized angels as the powerful invisible servants of Christ, who, in addition to carrying divine messages to the faithful, protect them with the excellence of their spiritual power expressed in their names.
Work
Title of the workAsiel Timor Dei, Archangel musketeer
In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV speaks to us about the poor and God's predilection for those who suffer most. Throughout his pontificate, Francis has also insisted on this theme: Christ's love for them.
Now, as I prepare for Christmas and look for a good butcher shop where I can buy a nice turkey, I think about all this and find it hard to understand completely. The poor, for me, tend to be too abstract a concept, and I wonder if I don't understand the Popes well or if I simply lack compassion. I get caught up thinking about how to fulfill my family obligations and, at the same time, take care of those most in need, as so many saints did.
I know that Christ became the poorest of the poor and that he remains the most dependent of all: a simple piece of bread in a small box. But what can I do for the poor if I am surrounded by thousands of family emergencies and loved ones who also require attention? After giving it a lot of thought, I have come to a conclusion that I believe the Pope would agree with.
Every time a text by the Pope is published, I can't help but take it very seriously. When reading I loved you and meditate on Christ's predilection for the poorest, I ask myself: what about my own predilection? What does my heart lean toward?
The poor and the sick are protagonists in the Gospel. What is it about them that merits this divine predilection? It is pure necessity. And that predilection teaches me something decisive: life and dependence are equivalent; they are the same reality. Life does not begin when dependence is resolved. Life does not begin when the sick person is cured, when the baby grows up and becomes independent, when work problems disappear, when I get a new and better job, when I find a good girlfriend, when I have my first child or another one, when I manage to buy a house...
I often live my life thinking that way: waiting for the perfect situation, instead of enjoying the situation I find myself in.
Life is just that: the endless hassle of changing diapers, accompanying every step of my children's growth, caring for my sick ones, spending sleepless nights due to my little ones' coughs and fevers, taking my youngest son to his therapies every day. Life is listening to my husband when he talks to me about his work or what worries him. Sometimes it's more intense and other times it's lighter, but it's still the same life.
When unemployment, illness, pain, or difficulties arise, life becomes more alive, more intense. And when everything flows smoothly—the children are healthy, school is going well, work is steady, dinner is ready, and there are no tantrums—we say we've had a good day. And it's true: on those days, life weighs less heavily. But both forms are life. Never perfect, but always lived with fondness.
Living all this with predilection—as Christ loves the poor—is what the Pope teaches me in this encyclical.
From a modern perspective, all this seems absurd. In The age of emptiness, Lipovetsky describes how citizens of contemporary societies live and interact: individualism has infiltrated our most basic form of connection, even with those we love most. Without meaning to, we live together as individuals who feel it is their duty to improve their personal situation as much as possible. In this mindset, dependence appears to be a threat to a good life.
But, from Christ's perspective, that logic does not hold up. And Christmas makes that clear. The sick and the poor represent extreme forms of dependence, and now, at Christmas, so does God himself, who will live that way until the end.
The question for me, when reading this encyclical and understanding the privileged place of the poor in Christ's heart, is not to feel guilty for living well or to romanticize poverty. It is to understand that when the Pope speaks of poverty, he is speaking of something more than a social group; he is speaking of the bonds of the heart. And this proposal—to live with predilection what we have been given—frees us from the individualism that traps us all: that which makes us live wishing for a life different from the one we already have.
20 movies (and a few series) to watch at Christmas
Christmas is coming, and Christmas movies, or movies with a Christmas theme and atmosphere, never go out of style. Here are a few, 20 to be exact, some family-friendly, animated or not, and some for adults or teenagers. Everyone has their favorites. These or others.
Francisco Otamendi-December 20, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
Here are a few movies that are often watched at Christmas. This is not an exhaustive list, but it will jog your memory and give you some clues. Here they are.
1. It's a Wonderful Life. Christmas classic by Frank Capra about a good man on the brink of ruin, about hope and the value of life.
2. Miracle on 34th Street. A heartwarming story about faith, kindness, and the Christmas spirit.
3. A Christmas Story. Classic family comedy with heartwarming humor about Christmas in the 1940s.
4. Home Alone (1 and 2). An iconic Christmas comedy with lots of laughs and mischief, especially from the child protagonist.
Image taken during a screening of El Rey de Reyes (The King of Kings) at the Hospital del Niño Jesús in early December in Madrid (@A Contracorriente Films).
5. The King of Kings, a successful animated film in the United States and also in Spain. On Christmas Eve, Charles Dickens tells his son the greatest story ever told.
6. Mickey's Christmas Carol. Short animated adaptation of Dickens' classic featuring Disney characters.
7. The Muppet Christmas Carol. A fun adaptation of Dickens' story featuring the Muppets, ideal for all ages.
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Although it is not a Christmas movie, many consider it to be winter/Christmas-themed because of its scenes at Hogwarts with snow and a magical atmosphere. Not all Harry Potter movies are “Christmas movies,” but the first one has iconic scenes for the season.
9. Star Wars. The Star Wars saga encompasses the eternal struggle between good and evil. Good: light, sacrifice, compassion, hope, loyalty. Evil: power, fear, pride, violence, corruption. Related to biblical stories, classical myths, etc.
The Lord of the Rings (10) and The Chronicles of Narnia (11), like the previous one, are often recommended at Christmas, in the same moral and epic vein as Star Wars, each with its own tone.
12. The Polar Express. A magical family adventure during Christmas.
13. Elf. A Christmas comedy beloved for its humor and heart.
14. ‘Life is beautiful’ (1998). Oscar-winning bittersweet comic fable in which a bookseller (Roberto Benigni) uses his imagination to convince his young son that their existence in a Nazi concentration camp is just a game and that they will win the grand prize.
15. Jesus of Nazareth, by Franco Zeffirelli. It depicts the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, narrating in detail the Annunciation, the journey to Bethlehem for the census, and the birth of Jesus in the manger, following the accounts in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew.
16. Love Actually. –Romantic with intertwined stories. A film for adults, not for children, according to critics. An alternative could be Serendipity (17) for example. Or the almost classic Sense and Sensibility (18)u Pride and Prejudice (19), which are not childish.
20. On Sundays. Highly topical. A brilliant, idealistic 17-year-old girl has to decide what to study at university. Or at least, that's what her family expects her to do. However, the girl feels increasingly closer to God, pray and considers his religious vocation.
Obviously, there are many films missing for lovers of history or other genres. For example, we can mention Of gods and men, about the eight Cistercian monks who lived in the Maghreb in harmony with their Muslim brothers, until a wave of violence arrived... Or the Oscar-winning Mary Poppins y Smiles and Tears, the emotional Up and the series of Tadeo Jones, animation, and many others.
Series and specials
Some series and specials for Christmas are ‘Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers’, a special from the popular series. The Chosen which narrates the birth of Christ from the perspective of Mary and Joseph. And also The Nativity (BBC): a four-episode miniseries about the story of Mary and Joseph's faith, and a nine-episode animated biblical series from the production company. Amen Kids.
On the other hand, these days are perfect for watching episodes of the series The Chosen at a more leisurely pace. You can find extensive information at against, Movistar+ and Amazon Prime Video Spain.
Resurrection, in 2027
It may be recalled that Mel Gibson's film ‘The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, 2027’ is scheduled for release in 2027, with some details already confirmed. It will be in two parts, and Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen will play Jesus to offer a fresh take on the character, Gibson has reported.
Kristina Zamarytė-Sakavičienė, mother of six children and Minister of Justice of Lithuania
Kristina Zamarytė-Sakavičienė places family values at the heart of public policy. Her appointment is praised by Catholic leaders but generates controversy by challenging cultural individualism with her defense of motherhood as “the best school of life.”.
Bryan Lawrence Gonsalves-December 20, 2025-Reading time: 5minutes
When Kristina Zamaryte-Sakaviciene gave birth to her fifth child, the nurse who weighed the newborn asked her how many children she had. “Five”, "Yes," Kristina replied, smiling. The nurse frowned., “Well, I hope he doesn't come back here then,” he said.. However, Kristina returned to give birth to her sixth child. For Zamaryte-Sakaviciene, that moment became a quiet act of defiance, a symbol of joy in embracing family life, in the midst of a modern culture that too often greets large families with, if not surprise, then open skepticism.
Today, this mother of six has taken on one of the most visible legal positions in her country: Deputy Minister of Justice of Lithuania. Her appointment has drawn praise from both civic leaders and the Catholic community for her clear moral compass and commitment to placing family values at the center of public policy.
Faith in public life
Zamaryte-Sakaviciene joined the Ministry of Justice in early October 2025, working under Minister Rita Tamašuniene. Her portfolio is broad: civil, procedural, and administrative law; mediation and forensic policy; and the development of Lithuania's national legal system.
He accepted the offer to serve, he says, with “serene joy”, recognizing it as “a professional milestone and a personal calling”. Although he never sought high office, his lifelong motivation has been “contribute effectively to the common good and the protection of fundamental human rights”.
A lawyer and ethicist by training, she began her career in 2006 as an advisor to the Lithuanian Parliament's Health Affairs Committee and later became an inspector of good clinical practices at the State Medicines Control Agency. She then went on to head the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and Law and was director of the Free Society Institute, an advocacy group that promotes values rooted in Catholic social doctrine.
For Zamaryte-Sakaviciene, law and faith are not opposing forces, but complementary paths to truth. “Justice is not tied to any faith; its content and obligations do not depend on religious beliefs.”he says. “Human rights, in their essence, are nothing more than demands for justice, that a person be given what is due to them according to their human nature.”.
Praise and controversy
His rise to national leadership has not gone unnoticed. Cardinal Sigitas Tamkevicius, a former political prisoner under the Soviet regime, praised his “clear Christian stance on life, family, and sexuality”, and described it as “an inspiring example for secular Catholics and all people of good will that we need not be passive observers of what is happening in Lithuania today, but rather clearly defend eternal values.”.
Archbishop Kestutis Kevalas of Kaunas also defended his appointment, stating that in a democracy, no one should be “humiliated or declared unfit for public service simply because of their moral or religious position”. Discrimination against believers, he warned, weakens the very fabric of democracy.
However, her worldview, particularly her outspoken advocacy for life and family, puts her at odds with a culture increasingly defined by individualism. In public forums, she often challenges assumptions about modern feminism and what it means to be an empowered woman.
“Feminism promised empowerment and liberation for women.”he says, “but it led many to seek happiness in the wrong ways”. The modern emphasis on careerism and status, he argues, has “has subtly belittled motherhood and diminished the sense of true femininity.”.
For Zamaryte-Sakaviciene, this distortion has created an emotional burden on women. “Many women feel guilty if they pause their careers after having a baby and equally guilty if they wait too long to become mothers.”, observe. She believes that restoring respect for motherhood means recognizing its irreplaceable value, nurturing life within the family and in society at large.
A child-centered approach
At the heart of her philosophy lies what she calls a child-centered vision of justice. “I evaluate the decisions made by the State according to the principle that the interests of the child come first.”, he explains, especially in debates on family policy, assisted reproduction, and abortion.
He insists that life begins at conception, that “Children should never be treated as objects of adult desire or convenience.”. With regard to fertilization in vitro, he is concerned about a culture that “expects children to adapt to adults” decisions”. The increasing manipulation of embryos, he says, “is driven by cultural shifts that elevate the convenience, desires, and interests of adults above the right of a conceived child to be born and to live.”.
His position, he insists, is not about religion, but about justice: “Human embryos should not be treated as objects,” he explains. “Governments should value the natural family, not because of religious mandates but out of respect for natural law.”.
Motherhood as a school of life
Omnes spoke with Virginija Krasauskiene, a teacher from Panevežys, who understands this cultural tension firsthand. Dismissed from her job after giving birth to her third daughter, she stated that, in Lithuania, employees like her “are seen as unnecessary and inconvenient”, and that large families are often considered “uneducated and fanatical”. His story highlights the need for greater social acceptance of families with many children.
When asked how being a mother of six shapes her work, she responds without hesitation: “Motherhood is undoubtedly the best school of life.”.
Motherhood, she said, has revealed both her strengths and weaknesses and has taught her “to truly grow in virtue.”. Speaking with quiet confidence, he added: “Mothers don't need to search for the meaning of life; it grows in their arms every day.”.
That, he believes, is a truth that modern culture forgets in its relentless pursuit of satisfaction through professional success or social achievement. “No invention, law, or discovery compares to the wonder of nurturing a new human life, a person with an infinite life of their own.”, he reflects. “After all, isn't it ultimately for the sake of people that all business, science, and politics exist?.
Serving the truth in a secular age
Zamaryte-Sakaviciene is quick to acknowledge the role of her husband, a practicing lawyer, in supporting their large family. “I have a wonderful husband, a super dad.”he says. “We take care of each other and our children together.”. Their shared commitment, he explains, allows him to continue his civic and political work while pursuing his legal career. Proof that harmony between vocation and family is possible when built on mutual respect and shared purpose.
Navigating politics as a woman of faith can be challenging, but Zamaryte-Sakaviciene believes that moral truth does not need to be imposed to be effective. “The truth will defend itself.”he says. “You just have to be its bearer.”.
He offers young Catholics who aspire to public service a simple piece of advice: “Do not be afraid to hold on to your moral convictions, even at the expense of your career. Even if one door closes, new and unexpected paths will open up. Life becomes simpler when you do not hide your beliefs.”.
The roots of conviction
Zamaryte-Sakaviciene credits her parents with instilling in her a love of learning and moral independence. “My father introduced me to the mysteries of science; my mother showed me the treasures of history, art, and literature.”, Remember. From them, he inherited curiosity, confidence, and the courage to think freely. “It is a current of love, meaning, and adventure that flows from generation to generation.”, he says, a legacy he now seeks to pass on to his own children.
As she begins her term at the Department of Justice, she remains convinced that Europe's moral renewal depends on rediscovering human dignity as something discovered, not merely granted by the state. “Building a just society requires constant effort.”, emphasizes, “both the State and its citizens, to ensure that everyone receives what they are entitled to”.
In a political landscape where faith can seem like a disadvantage, Zamaryte-Sakaviciene stands as a reminder that conviction and compassion can coexist, and that a mother's heart can help guide a nation's laws. “The truth sets us free.”, he states directly. “Our task is simply to recognize it and serve it faithfully.”.
The authorBryan Lawrence Gonsalves
Founder of "Catholicism Coffee".
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Did you know that Eve is a saint? And have you heard of the enigmatic shadow of Lilith?
According to Jewish tradition, Lilith was Adam's first wife, created before Eve, and expelled from paradise for refusing to obey her husband. In Christian iconography, this figure is associated with the female-faced serpent to represent temptation based on pride and rejection of the divine order.
On December 19, the Catholic Church commemorates Saint Eve, the first woman according to Genesis. For many believers, this fact is surprising: Eve, usually associated with the story of original sin, is venerated as a saint.
Christian tradition views her in the light of redemption: Eve is not defined by the Fall, but by God's plan of salvation, culminating in Christ, the new Adam. Her memory appears in ancient martyrologies and in Eastern and Western liturgical traditions from the early centuries of Christianity.
The figure of Eva has developed around, outside the biblical canon and outside Catholic doctrine, a parallel tradition that has exerted a notable cultural and artistic influence: that of Lilith.
Origins of Lilith
Its roots lie in myths from the ancient Near East (Mesopotamia) and in later Jewish interpretations that attempted to harmonize the two accounts of creation in Genesis. This tradition took shape especially in medieval texts, where Lilith is presented as the first woman, created before Eve and separated from Adam after refusing to submit to him.
Over time, her figure became associated with the demonic, but also with rebellion and female autonomy, which explains her persistence in literature, art, and symbolic thought.
It should be emphasized, however, that this interpretation is not part of the tradition, teaching, or theology of the Catholic Church, and therefore does not in any way constitute a matter of faith.. Catholic doctrine recognizes only the biblical account of Eve's creation as presented in Genesis.
Even so, the tradition of Lilith is culturally relevant, as it has had a significant influence on numerous artistic, literary, and symbolic representations over the centuries, and allows for a better understanding of certain imaginaries that dialogue—albeit from the outside—with the great biblical narratives.
Lilith as the “first Eve”
The idea that Lilith was the first woman emerged later, when Jewish interpreters noticed the apparent contradiction between the two accounts of creation in Genesis: one where man and woman appear to be created simultaneously, and another where Eve is created from Adam's rib.
According to this tradition, Lilith did not have a harmonious relationship with Adam. After the conflict, God granted her the freedom to leave him, and she went to live with demons in desert regions, traditionally located near the Dead Sea. From then on, later Jewish literature describes her as an evil female spirit, associated with the night, seduction, and destruction.
In this context, some accounts identify Lilith as Eve's tempter, the figure who, driven by jealousy, incites the new woman to eat the forbidden fruit. In this way, the serpent of Paradise acquires feminine and demonic traits.
In modern times, however, writers, artists, and feminist movements have reinterpreted the myth, presenting Lilith as a symbol of female independence and resistance to the patriarchal order.
Outside the religious sphere, Lilith has been adopted by various contemporary cultural movements. Some hard rock and metal bands have used her name as a symbol of rebellion, power, and transgression, interpreting her as a figure who embodies strength in the face of the established order.
A character absent from the Bible
The Catholic Bible does not mention Lilith as a character in the story of Paradise.. However, in some ancient translations and Hebrew commentaries, it appears associated with terms such as owl, symbols linked to night, darkness, concealment, and sinister things. In the Semitic world, these names evoke nocturnal, twisted beings linked to evil deeds.
Rabbis and Talmud scholars developed the figure of Lilith based on a detailed reading of Genesis. In Genesis 1:27, it appears that God created man and woman simultaneously (“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”).
In Genesis 2:22, Adam appears alone and Eve is created from his rib (“And the Lord God formed a woman from the rib he had taken from Adam, and presented her to Adam.”). To explain this difference, some Jewish commentators argued that the woman created alongside Adam was Lilith, while Eve was a later creation.
Lilith in art: from the Prado to the Sistine Chapel
This tradition has left a particularly visible mark on art history. Several artists of the Renaissance and late Middle Ages depicted the temptation in Paradise with a serpent with feminine features, reflecting these Hebrew interpretations. It is usually depicted in the form of an owl, or as a woman or a serpent with female breasts.
At the Prado Museum, some of Bosch's works are particularly eloquent. In The Garden of Earthly Delights, An owl appears watching from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, like a dark and watchful presence.
In the Triptych of the Hay Wagon, also by Bosch, the demon tempting from the tree takes on a form clearly associated with this female figure.
Something similar occurs in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo painted the scene of the original sin with a serpent with a female torso, an iconography that does not come from the biblical text, but from extra-biblical traditions known in humanist and Hebrew circles during the Renaissance.
In the Vienna Diptych Hugo van der Goes did not paint a conventional serpent, but rather a hybrid creature that fits perfectly with the figure of Lilith.
In the relief of the The Temptation of Adam and Eve, Located in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the serpent also appears with the torso and face of a woman, coiled around the Tree of Knowledge.
Adam and Eve, by Raphael in the Vatican Museums, follows Michelangelo's tradition: it shows the serpent-woman with a face almost identical to that of Eve.
The exact reason why so many Catholic artists adopted the figure of Lilith—a character from Jewish tradition—to represent the fall in Eden is unknown. The answer seems to lie in the humanist circles of the time, where painters such as Raphael or Michelangelo may have included these features under the direct influence of a rabbi friend.
During a time of searching for original sources, the myth of ‘Adam's first wife’ filtered down to Christian painters, transforming the serpent into that reptilian woman we see today in the Vatican or Notre Dame.
If you are interested in these interpretations of Lilith, rabbis, and snakes with women's faces, you will surely enjoy reading the two volumes of the Bible for Dummies published by María Vallejo-Nágera by Palabra. They are full of interesting and very entertaining stories.
Pope Leo urges protection and cultivation of even small signs of peace
The “logic of opposition” that dominates both global and national politics is “the most current factor in a planetary destabilization that is becoming increasingly dramatic and unpredictable,” wrote the Pope in his message for World Peace Day. Military spending already accounts for 2.5% of global GDP, and Leo XIV has urged that small signs of peace be protected.
The “logic of opposition” that dominates both global and national politics is “the most current factor in a planetary destabilization that is becoming increasingly dramatic and unpredictable.” So wrote Pope Leo XIV in his message for World Peace Day.
“It is no coincidence that repeated calls to increase military spending and the decisions that this entails are presented by many leaders as justification for the danger posed by others,” he said in his message for the January 1 celebration.
But peace must be protected and cultivated, said Pope Leo. “Even if it is fought against inside and outside of us, like a small flame threatened by the storm, let us take care of it,” he writes.
The logic of war, the logic of armaments
Over the next year, Pope Leo will give visiting heads of state signed copies of his message, which was published by the Vatican on December 18. And Vatican ambassadors will distribute it to government leaders in the countries where they serve.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, presented the message at a press conference at the Vatican. “In a way, we have been forced to accept the logic of war, the logic of armaments, the logic of enemies,» said the cardinal.
Their first victory: giving up our hope for peace
Pope Leo's message acknowledges that “the first triumph of the logic of war is that we give up our hope for peace.”.
“I am not a soldier, I never have been,” said the cardinal. But “even a soldier can feel comforted” by Pope Leo's call to cultivate “peace in his heart, in his relationships, in his prayer, and in his aspirations.”.
Although the message “does not in any way minimize the horrors that surround us,” he said, “it makes us largely responsible.”.
Pope Leo XIV, between Cardinal Bechara Rai, Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, left, and Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Grand Mufti of Lebanon, in Martyrs' Square in Beirut on December 1, 2025 (Photo CNS/Lola Gomez).
A duty for all religious leaders
The theme of the Pope's message, ‘Peace be with you all: towards an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace," begins with the first words he addressed to the crowd in St. Peter's Square on May 8. It was the night of his election.
Pope Leo added in his message that he and all religious leaders have an obligation to teach and preach against “the growing attempt to turn even thoughts and words into weapons.” And to condemn the use of religion to justify violence and exaggerated forms of nationalism.
They drag words of faith into political combat
“Unfortunately, it is increasingly part of the contemporary landscape to drag the words of faith into political combat, to bless nationalism, and to religiously justify violence and armed struggle,” writes the Pope.
“Believers must actively refute, above all with their lives, those forms of blasphemy that tarnish the Holy Name of God,» says Pope Leo. What is needed, instead, he said, is prayer, spirituality, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue “as paths of peace and languages of encounter between traditions and cultures.”.
Promote unity, understanding, and respect
The message echoed what Pope Leo had told reporters on December 2, after meeting with Christian, Muslim, and Druze leaders in Turkey and Lebanon during his first trip abroad.
“The more we promote genuine unity and understanding, respect, and human relationships of friendship and dialogue in the world, the greater the possibility that we will put aside the weapons of war. And that we will put aside the mistrust, hatred, and animosity that has so often built up, and find ways to unite and be able to promote genuine peace and justice throughout the world.”.
First, believe that peace is possible.
The first step in sowing peace, says the Holy Father, is to believe that peace is possible and that all people desire it.
“When we treat peace as a distant ideal,” he said in his message for World Peace Day, “we end up not considering it scandalous that it is denied, and even that war is waged to achieve it.”.
“If peace is not a reality that is experienced, safeguarded, and cultivated, aggression spreads in domestic and public life,» he said. When that happens, “we come to consider it a fault that we are not sufficiently prepared for war, to react to attacks, to respond to aggression.”.
Statistics show that this is already happening, the Pope pointed out.
Gravediggers work during a funeral in Ternopil, Ukraine, on November 21, 2025, for those killed during a Russian missile attack on an apartment building (Photo by OSV News: Andriy Perun, Reuters).
Defense spending in 2024, 9.4% more than in 2023
Global military spending in 2024 “increased by 9.4% compared to the previous year, confirming the uninterrupted trend of the last ten years and reaching $2.718 trillion, or 2.51% of global GDP,” he said, citing studies by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Threats are spreading
Pope Leo has also denounced a shift in education and the media. Instead of focusing on the achievements in peacemaking and diplomacy since World War II and remembering with horror how many people died in that war, threats are being spread.
In other words, the Pontiff has denounced that “communication campaigns and educational programs are promoted in schools and universities, as well as in the media, which spread the perception of threats and convey a purely armed notion of defense and security.”.
AI-controlled lethal automated weapons
This change is particularly frightening given advances in weapons technology, particularly the development of drones, robots, and other lethal automated weapons systems that can be controlled by artificial intelligence.
«A process of political and military leaders relinquishing responsibility is even taking shape, as decisions that affect the life and death of human beings are increasingly being ‘delegated’ to machines,” he wrote.
“Kindness is disarming.”
Pope Leo has asked Christians and all people of good will to join forces “to contribute reciprocally to a disarming peace, a peace that springs from openness and evangelical humility.”.
“Kindness is disarming,” he added. “Perhaps that is why God became a child.”.
Pope Leo prays that, as the Jubilee Year draws to a close, its legacy will be a “disarmament of the heart, mind, and life.”.
The Church must regain its intellectual leadership by harmonizing ecclesiastical knowledge, so that it can seek the truth and transmit it to the world.
December 19, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
In these first months of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has shown a growing concern for education. It is a central issue, as an important cultural and spiritual battle is being fought there, one that will define the future. While there have been various reflections on education in general and on Catholic universities, there has been a lack of in-depth debate on “ecclesiastical knowledge” (essentially, philosophy, theology, history, philology, and canon law), which helps the Church to explain itself and, above all, to proclaim its message.
Concerned about the configuration of higher education, I have just published the book The harmonization of ecclesiastical knowledge. Keys to Rethinking Catholic Higher Education, (Dykinson), published free of charge so that it can reach everyone, which aims to be a reflection on the subject based on Veritatis Gaudium.
It can be seen that, throughout the first centuries, the Church absorbed secular knowledge, synthesized it with the kerigma and tradition, offering a comprehensive encyclopedia of knowledge, which gradually became fragmented. With the triumph of liberalism, states separated themselves clearly from the Church, and ecclesiastical knowledge remained, in most Catholic countries, in seminaries and pontifical universities, in a state of decline. The Second Vatican Council decided to open the doors to dialogue with the secular world, and the Church, to this day, has followed the global guidelines of civil education without excessive hindrance.
Much of the current problem stems from the fact that the Church has lost its intellectual leadership and has become complacent with global trends, which are characterized by fads that stray from Christian thinking, as well as by the reduction of basic training and the fragmentation into countless master's degrees, diplomas, and elective courses.
In order for each branch of knowledge not to go its own way, as has been the case in the civil world for two centuries, it is necessary for all ecclesiastical knowledge to have a clear understanding of the spiritual purpose that nourishes it and, above all, the unity that exists between them. From the internal tension between the different branches of knowledge, which cooperate with each other, a firm unity of knowledge must emerge, which can then engage in fruitful dialogue with civil knowledge. However, the lack of well-integrated ecclesiastical knowledge leads to abuses and misunderstandings and, above all, prevents the attainment of a harmonious truth that integrates and unifies them. What is needed is a harmonization that, without renouncing the irreducible character of each branch of knowledge, seeks to the utmost its connections with the others.
A paradigm shift is proposed: a model for articulating ecclesiastical knowledge that starts with the Word of God, in its historical and philological context, continues on to philosophy, then rises to theological speculation, and finally translates into canon law. Finally, the joint re-reading of the Word of God and the canonical provisions should give way to new reflections and adjustments, and to restarting the process as many times as necessary.
All of this implies the need to organize new, more ambitious, and better-integrated ecclesiastical curricula that seek, above all, the unity of knowledge and the supernatural goal they pursue. This unity must be reflected in the arrangement of subjects and must fill the minds of students.
To this end, it is proposed to rethink the current curricula and structure the institutional cycle into a dual seven-year degree in Ecclesiastical Philosophy and Theology. This would broaden the scope of education and counteract the secular trend toward reducing basic education and increasing postgraduate studies. To achieve unity of knowledge, this double degree in Ecclesiastical Philosophy and Theology is necessary, which would then lead to various Bachelor's or Master's degrees of specialization. The lack of prior training in secondary education, almost across all five continents, the current (slower) maturation processes, and increasing life expectancy invite us to rethink Catholic higher education from a global understanding of the unity of ecclesiastical knowledge to specialization, and from a thorough discernment of all ecclesial charisms to their realization in the state of life. In short, it is necessary for the Church to rethink the harmonization of ecclesiastical knowledge: that it may offer believers and non-believers, for the good of all humanity, an intellectually well-assembled project that is courageous in its search for truth.
The authorRafael Ramis
Professor of History of Law and Institutions at the University of the Balearic Islands
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New blesseds: 11 Spanish martyrs and an exemplary Argentine businessman, Enrique Shaw
The Pope authorizes the promulgation of decrees relating to the upcoming beatification of nine seminarians, a priest, and a layman, martyred during the Spanish Civil War of the last century, and of an Argentine family man, Enrique Ernesto Shaw, a businessman committed to various ecclesial works.
On December 18, Pope Leo XIV authorized the promulgation of decrees concerning 12 new blesseds, 11 of whom were martyrs during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s—9 seminarians, a diocesan priest, and a layman—and a father, Enrique Ernesto Shaw, an Argentine businessman who died in 1962, and three new venerables—two Italians, Friar Berardo Atonna and Sister Domenica Caterina dello Spirito Santo, and the priest Joseph Panjikaran, from India—whose heroic virtues have been recognized.
The Spanish martyrs
Eleven Spanish martyrs were killed between 1936 and 1937 during the violent anti-Christian persecution of that period in Spain, in the territory of the current dioceses of Madrid, Getafe, and Alcalá de Henares.
Seminarian Ignacio Aláez Vaquero, arrested for refusing to enlist in the army and choosing instead to study to become a priest, was murdered along with his father on November 9, 1936. Along with him, the following were recognized as martyrs Pablo Chomón Pardo, seminarian, and his uncle, Julio Pardo Pernía, chaplain of the Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart in Ciempozuelos, murdered on August 8, 1936; Antonio Moralejo Fernández-Shaw, a seminarian, and his father Liberato Moralejo Juan, who allowed himself to be arrested in order to defend his son and was murdered alongside him; and also the seminarians Jesús Sánchez Fernández-Yáñez, Miguel Talavera Sevilla, Ángel Trapero Sánchez-Real, Cástor Zarco García—who had to enlist as a reservist and was denounced by some of his comrades for his behavior, considered too peaceful, and was murdered after suffering several humiliations and being forced to dig his own grave—Mariano Arrizabalaga Español, and Ramón Ruiz Pérez, who was tortured along with some twenty lay people and imprisoned and murdered with them.
All of them were killed because of hatred for their faith: their martyrdom is part of the anti-Catholic climate of those years in Spain. Extensive documentation shows the clear willingness of the seminarians to give their lives for God, aware of the anti-Christian hatred unleashed against members of the Church. By remaining close to their families and friends without hiding, despite the danger, their reputation for martyrdom spread rapidly and continues to this day.
Enrique Ernesto Shaw
Enrique Ernesto Shaw, born in Paris on February 26, 1921, and later moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, his family's homeland, will also be beatified. A young man of strong Catholic faith, he joined the Navy and during long periods at sea he taught catechism to the sailors.
Called to work in the family business, he committed himself to applying the principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church in the business world, establishing a fraternal relationship of collaboration with all his workers. He married Cecilia Bunge, with whom he had nine children; he joined Catholic Action and the Christian Family Movement, promoting several other associations related to the world of work and publishing lectures, articles, and essays.
In 1961, he was appointed president of Catholic Action Men. He died of cancer on August 27, 1961. His intercession led to the miraculous healing of a five-year-old boy who was kicked in the back of the head by a horse on a farm near Buenos Aires on June 21, 2015. The child suffered severe skull and brain damage and underwent several surgical procedures. On July 15, to the surprise of the doctors, it was found that the ventricular system had returned to its normal size. In 2019, the child was examined by two experts who found him to be in good health, with no significant neurological sequelae. Today he leads a normal life.
The Venerables
The heroic virtues of Friar Berardo Atonna and Sister Domenica Caterina dello Spirito Santo, both Italian, and Joseph Panjikaran, an Indian priest, were also recognized. For this reason, as of today, they are Venerable.
Giuseppe Panjikaran, diocesan priest, founder of the Congregation of the «Medical Sisters of St. Joseph,» born on September 10, 1888, in Uzhuva (India) and died on November 4, 1949, in Kothamangalam (India);
Berardo Atonna (born Giuseppe), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, born on July 1, 1843, in Episcopio di Sarno (Italy) and died on March 4, 1917, in Naples (Italy);
Domenica Caterina dello Spirito Santo (born Teresa Solari), founder of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Little House of Divine Providence, probably born on December 8, 1822, in Ne (Italy) and died on May 7, 1908, in Genoa (Italy).
Pope appoints Ronald Hicks as Archbishop of New York
He was born in Chicago. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's degree in theology from Loyola University. He earned his doctorate from the University of Mary in Mundelein, Illinois.
In one of the most anticipated U.S. episcopal appointments of his pontificate to date, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and named Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, as his successor.
The resignation and appointment were announced by the Vatican on December 18.
Resignation of Cardinal Dolan
Cardinal Dolan was appointed Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on February 23, 2009, and three years later Pope Benedict elevated him to the College of Cardinals.
On February 6, he turned 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the Pope.
Cardinal Dolan was president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and has held various leadership positions at the national level, including chairing the USCCB's pro-life and religious freedom committees. He was president of Catholic Relief Services and is currently a member of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches and the Dicastery for Evangelization.
Hicks, from Joliet to New York
Since September 29, 2020, Archbishop Hicks, 58, has led the Diocese of Joliet, which covers the western and southern suburbs of Chicago and extends into central Illinois. He will lead the second-largest archdiocese in the United States, with 2.5 million Catholics, five times more than Joliet's 520,000.
Among other tasks, the new archbishop will manage a large-scale settlement for clergy abuse once he assumes his new position. Cardinal Dolan announced in a December 9 letter to his parishioners that the archdiocese would begin mediation with 1,300 plaintiffs over allegations of sexual abuse by clergy. He added that the archdiocese would need to raise $300 million for the settlements.
According to the Illinois Attorney General's 2023 report on clergy sexual abuse in Illinois dioceses, Joliet had reported 100 credible cases of abuse that took place between 1949 and 2004. It has paid more than $7 million in settlements in three cases, most recently in 2019, a year before Archbishop Hicks took office.
The diocese underwent restructuring in 2023, with plans to merge and close 16 parishes. Authorities cited aging buildings, declining numbers of priests, and declining Mass attendance, but did not mention abuse settlements as reasons for the consolidation.
Spiritual profile
According to Deacon Dominic Cerrato, the new Archbishop of New York is up to the task of leading a significantly larger (arch)diocese because «all of his skills» as a bishop are «transferable and scalable.».
In particular, Deacon Cerrato, who recently retired as director of the diaconate in the Diocese of Joliet, said Archbishop Hicks is a «very devout man» whose spirituality guides his leadership.
«He was a humble man, in the sense that he always asked for prayers. He would pray for any audience and say, ‘Please pray for him,'» Deacon Cerrato told OSV News. «He certainly sought God's will in shepherding the diocese. We always began with a prayer, but his attitude denoted a deep spirituality.».
In a 20-page pastoral letter on discipleship to the faithful of the Diocese of Joliet, entitled «Do!», the current Archbishop Hicks outlined plans to carry out the vision he brought with him when he took office five years ago: «to put catechesis, evangelization, and faith into practice.».
With a heartfelt admission that «vulnerably reflects (his) heart» in the blog on his diocesan website, dated September 30, about the letter he wrote, «I love Jesus and I want you to love him too.».
«The letter offers a clear path: conversion, confession, communion, and commission, all united by prayer. These are not abstract concepts, but real and concrete steps that anyone can begin today,» he said. A website is dedicated to the plan with sections on these five areas on the path to making disciples among the faithful.
Leadership style
Deacon Cerrato described the bishop's leadership style as one that «builds communion, strengthens mission, and reflects gentle authority.».
He recalled that Archbishop Hicks once asked him what he thought the diocese should do during a meeting. «I was really surprised because I discovered that he was very open to finding solutions if presented with a challenge. He was willing to listen to whatever might happen. So his leadership was not only high-level, but he also reached out to the people. You could say, my goodness, he got in touch with people to listen,» Deacon Cerrato said.
He said that the newly appointed archbishop also spent a lot of time with the faithful at various events. Deacon Cerrato said, «When you saw him, his smile, his availability. I mean, he was able to spend hours taking pictures with people. He didn't just go to an event and then leave. In that sense, there was a feeling of shepherding. There was a feeling of affection. There was a sense of listening. That said, he was certainly a decisive leader, in the sense that if a decision had to be made, he made it.».
Past in Chicago
Previously, he was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich in 2015, and in September 2018, he was ordained auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.
Archbishop Hicks was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 21, 1994. He served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Chicago from 1994 to 1996 and at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills, Illinois, from 1996 to 1999. From 1999 to 2005, he lived and ministered at St. Joseph University Seminary in Chicago as dean of formation.
In July 2005, with the authorization of Cardinal Francis E. George, then Archbishop of Chicago, Archbishop Hicks moved from Chicago to El Salvador to begin a five-year term as regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) in Central America. NPH is a home dedicated to caring for more than 3,400 orphaned and abandoned children in nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
From 2010 to 2014, Archbishop Hicks served as dean of formation at Mundelein Seminary.
Like Pope Leo XIV, he was born in Chicago. He graduated from Quigley South Preparatory Seminary in 1985. He earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Niles College at Loyola University Chicago in 1989, his master's degree in theology in 1994, and his doctorate in ministry in 2003 from the University of Mary Lake in Mundelein, Illinois. A Doctorate in Ministry (DMin) is a professional graduate degree for Christian leaders who seek to perfect their practical skills in areas such as leadership, preaching, counseling, or education.
Archbishop Hicks serves on the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations and is the conference liaison to the Association for the Continuing Education of Priests and the National Association of Directors of Diaconate Formation. He has also been appointed to the USCCB Charter Review Task Force. He also serves on the board of directors of the Catholic Outreach Society and the Advisory Board of Mundelein Seminary.
The CARF Foundation invites you on a journey this Christmas
Christmas is also celebrated far from home and in difficult circumstances. This year, the CARF Foundation proposes to bring us closer to the reality of priests and seminarians who celebrate their vocation in vulnerable countries such as Nigeria, Angola, Venezuela, and China, where faith is lived in hope.
The CARF Foundation, which helps seminarians, priests, and religious from 130 countries, organizes pilgrimages to Rome, Pamplona, and the Holy Land. But on this occasion, it wanted to prepare something more special: spending Christmas learning about the reality of priests and seminarians who live their vocation in some of the most vulnerable countries in the world: Nigeria (with Father Emmanuel), Angola (with seminarian Gonçalves), Venezuela (with Father Humberto), and China (with seminarian Xudong).
A trip to Nigeria
If we travel to Ikot Ekpene (Nigeria), we will meet Father Emmanuel Enwenwen. Thanks to the financial aid provided by the benefactors of the CARF Foundation, he is currently studying Institutional Communication in Rome.
Emmanuel highlights the contrast between the severe religious persecution suffered by the Catholic Church and the growth of vocations in his country. “A few years ago, we were beneficiaries of missionaries who came to evangelize us. Today, many Nigerians have become missionaries in different parts of the world,” he says.
The Church in Nigeria faces numerous challenges in fulfilling its spiritual and social mission. The main one is insecurity. Insurgent groups, bandits, and kidnappers attack clergy, laypeople, and even places of worship. They use violence to disrupt pastoral activities and sow fear. “In some parts of the country, the Church has become an easy path to martyrdom,” Emmanuel laments.
Despite this context, Emmanuel emphasizes that there is hope: “Thanks to a young and dynamic population, the Church has the capacity to reshape the moral landscape of the nation. Furthermore, with so many young people in seminaries and convents, there is great hope for continuity in the future.”.
The CARF Foundation, which supports the training of seminarians, priests, and religious from 130 countries, encourages us not to forget the most vulnerable during this Christmas season. Its invitation is clear: think of them, pray for them, and contribute to their needs so that, “after receiving a good education, they can celebrate Christmas this year and in the years to come, together with their people, to whom they will explain that God became man to bring light, warmth, and hope to homes around the world.”.
The birth of the Lord is fast approaching. It may be a good opportunity to recall some thoughts and quotes from saints about the mystery of Christmas. Here are 32 of them, though this list is by no means exhaustive.
Francisco Otamendi-December 18, 2025-Reading time: 4minutes
If we were to mention some saints who have written most extensively about the Birth of the Lord, about Christmas, and quote some of their phrases, here are 32, plus some reflections from recent Popes.
This is not a scientific study, as is obvious. But it can serve to give us a sense of the coming of the Child God, of his incarnation. The sources are diverse and, in general terms, point to St. Ephrem the Syrian, St. Leo the Great, St. Augustine of Hippo, and St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, not to mention St. Francis of Assisi, as some of those who have written most about the mystery of Christmas.
Apostles
Some well-known phrases and writings of the Apostles have not been included here. These include, for example, St. Peter, St. John the Evangelist (“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory”), and St. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians (“Christ Jesus, being in the form of God, did not greedily retain his equality with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant...”).
Some saints and reflections
Here is a list of saints, with some of their thoughts on the incarnation of the Lord and, where applicable, a brief commentary.
1. Saint Ephrem the Syrian (+373), known as the poet of Christmas (East), composed dozens of hymns dedicated to the Birth of the Lord. “Blessed be the Child who today has made us, the elderly, children again.”.
2. Saint Leo the Great, Christmas theologian (Western tradition). He is possibly the Pope who has left us the most sermons on the Nativity. “The birth of Christ is the birth of the Christian people.”.
3. Saint Augustine of Hippo, contemplative theologian (Western), has many Christmas sermons and constant references to the Incarnation. “The Creator of man became man, so that man could recognize his Creator.”.
4. Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, with Meditations on the Incarnation, Christmas Novena, etc. “A God who became a child to be loved.”.
Church Fathers, from the East and West
5. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria “The Son of God became man so that we might become children of God.”.
6. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus “The rich man becomes poor; he takes what is mine to give me what is his.”.
7. Saint Basil the Great “God accepts being wrapped in swaddling clothes to free us from the bonds of sin.”.
8. St. John Chrysostom “Today heaven and earth are united, because God has come to earth.”.
9. Saint Ambrose of Milan “Christ was wrapped in swaddling clothes to untie the bonds of our death.”
10. St. Jerome “He who feeds everyone lies in a manger.”
Other saints
11. St. Francis of Assisi “I want to celebrate the memory of the Child who was born in Bethlehem and see with my own eyes the hardships he endured due to a lack of basic necessities.”.
12. Saint Teresa of Jesus “Look at the Child in the manger and you will see how great his love is.
13. Saint John of the Cross. “Because in giving us, as he gave us, his Son, who is his Word—and he has no other—he spoke to us everything together and at once in this one Word.”.
14. Saint Ignatius of Loyola. “The three divine Persons looked upon the whole plain or roundness of the world filled with men... and determined that the second Person should become man to save the human race.”.
15. Saint John Mary Vianney (Curé d'Ars) “The manger teaches us God’s humility and invites us to approach Him with a simple heart.”.
16. Saint Bernadette Soubirous (Lourdes) “Jesus makes himself small so that we are not afraid to approach him.
17. Saint Francisco Marto (Fatima) “I love to console Jesus, who was born so poor.
18 Saint Jacinta Marto (Fatima) “The Child Jesus suffers for the sins of the world; we must love him very much.”
19. Venerable Lucia dos Santos (Fatima) “The Son of God became man to bring peace to the world.”.
20. Saint Gianna Beretta Molla “The Child Jesus reminds us that life is a sacred gift from its very beginning.
21.St. Catherine of Siena “God became a child so that man would trust in his love again.”.
22. St. John Henry Newman “God became man so that man could live for God.”.
23. Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus (Lisieux) “At Christmas, God became small to teach us the way of trust.”.
24. St. Maximilian Kolbe “In the manger begins the victory of love over sin.”.
25. Saint Teresa of Calcutta “Do not look for Jesus in distant lands: he is in the manger and in the poor.”.
26. Saint Josemaría Escrivá. “He has become so small—you see, a Child!—so that you may approach him with confidence!” 27. Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) “In the Child Jesus we find the strength to bear every cross.”.
28. Saint Faustina Kowalska “God’s love shines most brightly in the silence of the manger.”.
29. Saint Joseph Gabriel del Rosario Brochero “Christ was born poor to enrich us with his grace.”.
30. Saint Laura Montoya “The Child Jesus was born to teach us to love without measure.”.
31. Saint Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) “The Child in the manger points the way to the cross and to glory.”.
32. Saint Óscar Romero “Christ is born in poverty to identify with the poor and give them hope.”.
Some Popes
St. John XXIII “Christmas renews the certainty that God loves the world just as it is.”.
St. Paul VI “Christmas is the celebration of God’s closeness to man.”
Saint John Paul II “God has entered human history as a child.”.
Benedict XVI “In the Child of Bethlehem, God responds to the tragedy of evil with the power of love.”.
Francisco “God is not born powerful, but fragile, to teach us to love.”.
Great saints and founders have been left out of the list, such as Saint Benedict, Saint Dominic de Guzmán, Saint Vincent de Paul, Saint Joseph Calasanz, Saint Francis de Sales, etc. Don't be angry with me, Merry Christmas to all.
During the Angelus on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Leo XIV explicitly recalled the Virgin Mary's “yes” at the Annunciation and presented it as a model for all the faithful.
Herencia, the place where people pray the most in Spain?
In Spain, there are currently 56 parishes with perpetual adoration, but possibly only one has 5% of the population registered as weekly adorer of the Blessed Sacrament.
In the vast plains of La Mancha, a land of boundless horizons and birthplace of the most universal of noblemen, Herencia stands like a living postcard taken from the pages of Miguel de Cervantes.
This municipality in Ciudad Real, famous for its iconic windmills, inevitably reminds us of the passage where Don Quixote, in his noble madness, mistook these gigantic blades for rampaging giants. However, in this small town, the real epic is not fought against fictional windmills, but in a silent and constant battle in favor of faith: Herencia could surely be one of the towns where God is most worshipped in Spain.
Herencia has just 8,000 inhabitants, 385 of whom are registered as worshippers of the Blessed Sacrament, committed to dedicating one hour a week to accompany Jesus in the Eucharist. This represents 5% of the total population, an exceptional proportion for an initiative of this kind.
Origins
There are currently 56 parishes in Spain with perpetual adoration. The parish of the Immaculate Conception in Herencia is one of them. In February 2023, it began permanent Eucharistic adoration, 24 hours a day, a practice that consists of the continuous exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the church for the personal prayer of the faithful. Day and night, there is always at least one person praying before the Eucharist, in a silence that contrasts with the usual rhythm of daily life.
The parish priest, Alberto Domínguez, acknowledges that the initiative did not initially come from him. «This was born out of the determination of some lay people in the village,» he explains. The priest admits that he was initially skeptical about the viability of the project, especially because of the consistency required to cover all the hours of the week. However, he decided to support it after making the decision during a trip to Medjugorje.
Effects of worship
According to the parish priest himself, the effects have been visible in the Christian life of the community. «Many people have increased their practice of confession, attendance at Sunday and weekday Mass, and above all, their relationship with the Eucharist has helped them to understand and appreciate the other sacraments more,» he says.
It is also very noticeable that people who attend Emmaus, Effetá, and Bartimeo retreats follow through on their resolutions by committing to worship shifts.
The heart and soul of the team
An initiative like this is quite complex, especially when it comes to dealing with unforeseen circumstances such as illness, vacations, etc. For this reason, there is a coordination team that is responsible for organizing schedules, ensuring constant presence before the Tabernacle, and attending to various logistical needs.
It is led by Loli, who has the invaluable help of a committed team made up of Charo, Berna, José Carlos, Lola, Jesús, and Petri, whose active collaboration is key to sustaining this spiritual practice and fostering devotion in the parish community. Thanks to their work, Herencia has become an important center of prayer.
The bishop of Ciudad Real on the day of the inauguration of the adoration chapel.
December 18 marks seven months since the election of Pope Leo XIV, who has developed his own style.
December 18, 2025-Reading time: 2minutes
On January 6, Pope Leo will close the holy door of St. Peter's Basilica, bringing the Jubilee Year of Hope to an end. It is the same door that Francis opened twelve months ago, summoning what little strength he had left, and which—in a gesture very characteristic of him—he left open.
So much has happened since the night of December 24, 2024! Millions of people have made pilgrimages to Rome to gain indulgences in the major basilicas. We accompanied Pope Francis during his illness and bid him farewell, witnessed a conclave in real time, enthusiastically welcomed a new pontiff with Augustinian charisma and passports from the north and south, and returned to Tor Vergata another August, 25 years later.
We experienced the first steps of Leo XIV with intensity, and now it has been the pope himself who has ushered us into a serene period, without big headlines, of small, well-thought-out steps and a calm that is as unremarkable as it is longed for.
Accompanied by the half-smile that characterizes his expression, Leo XIV has been steering the ship of the Church in recent months with deliberate calm. He does so with the certainty of having plenty of time ahead of him and in a seemingly paradoxical way: on the one hand, emphasizing his fundamental continuity with the Argentine pontiff, and on the other, distancing himself from him in form and style.
Prevost has made important decisions: he has appointed his successor as head of the Dicastery for Bishops, he has written the apostolic exhortation “Dilexi Te” on love for the poor, and he has made his first trip as Peter's successor to Turkey and Lebanon, on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
That half-smile warns us that 2026 will surely not bring any big news, but rather continued progress with equal parts determination and caution. The choice of the name León takes on its full meaning here.
We are on the threshold of Christmas, just three days away. Advent is slowly coming to an end, and today's Gospel tells us the story of Jesus' birth from Joseph's perspective.
When we look at today's liturgical readings, we are struck by the number of names we find: David, Paul, Mary, Joseph, Emmanuel, Jesus Christ. David is the name that appears in all the readings. Christ's genealogy is linked to David, and yet the prophecy insists that his birth is unique: “The virgin is with child and will give birth to a son, and she will name him Emmanuel.”.
Here is the mystery: what does a virgin birth have to do with David? Was Mary a descendant of David? The bridge between David and Christ is Joseph, “son of David.” Joseph does not contribute physical descent, but by welcoming Mary and giving the Child a name, he gives Jesus a legal and messianic lineage. Joseph is one of the great figures of Advent. He teaches us the proper disposition to prepare for the coming of Christ. Pope Benedict XVI would say that Joseph is a person who embodies Advent itself. In Joseph, Advent almost becomes a person.
Today we focus on Joseph. In today's Gospel, he receives his annunciation, and he also gives his fiat. ”Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child she carries comes from the Holy Spirit.”. His answer is simple but comprehensive, similar to that of his wife: “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.
With his annunciation, he welcomes Mary as his wife, but he also welcomes Christ as his son. By accepting Mary, he accepted Christ. The Incarnation took place in him, so to speak, by welcoming Christ. He thus becomes a model for Marian devotion, showing us what it means to welcome Mary into our lives. Joseph already did what John would do at the foot of the Cross, but in a different way. His act anticipates what the apostle John would later do: “Beholdto your mother.”. John took her as his mother; Joseph took her as his wife and accepted Christ, the Child in Mary's womb, the hidden Christ. This is our task during Advent and beyond: to learn to welcome Christ, the hidden Christ who is all around us, the Christ who comes to us in unexpected ways. Let us be open to the different forms of the annunciation and the incarnation.
It is well known that the Bible does not record any words spoken by Joseph. Today we are reminded that he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him, and one of the instructions he received was: “She will give birth to a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”. Joseph named his son, the son of Mary, the Son of God: Jesus. That was perhaps the most important word he ever uttered in his life: Jesus..
Erik Varden will speak on suffering and transcendent vision at the Omnes Forum
Monsignor Erik Varden is the guest speaker at the Omnes Forum, which will take place on January 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Aula Magna of the San Pablo CEU University.
On January 9, 2026, the Aula Magna at CEU San Pablo University in Madrid will host the first Omnes Forum of the year.
The Forum, organized by Omnes in partnership with the Ángel Herrera Oria Cultural Foundation y Ediciones Encuentro will feature the participation of the bishop and writer Erik Varden,head of the Norwegian diocese of Trondheimand author of books such as Chastity, On Christian conversion o Wounds that heal, his latest publication with Ediciones Encuentro and the focus of this event.
In conversation with the journalist Ana Zarzalejos, At this meeting, Varden will address the transcendent view of human suffering through a journey through the wounds of Christ himself. A bold and necessary proposal in a society marked by these inner wounds and their need for healing.
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The Omnes Forum, sponsored byCARF Foundation y Banco Sabadell and the collaboration of the CEU San Pablo University, will take place in a manner on-sitethe next January 9, 2026at 7:00 p.m.. in the Aula Magna of the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid (C/ Julián Romea, 23, Madrid 28003).
The presentation will be in English. Those who require translation are advised to bring their cell phones and headphones to connect to the room's translation system.
Pope warns against activism in the run-up to Christmas: “We are not machines”
At today's Audience, Pope Leo XIV warned against frantic activism in preparation for Christmas and reflected on the restlessness of the heart described by St. Augustine. “We are not machines, but men and women with hearts,” he said.
Francisco Otamendi-December 17, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
A temptation in these days leading up to the birth of Jesus at Christmas, and then during the holidays, is frenetic activism, the Pope told French-speaking pilgrims, the first to whom the Pontiff's words are summarized in the Audiences.
That is why he invited them, and the fifteen thousand Romans and pilgrims present in St. Peter's, to consider that this “frantic activism in preparing for the festivities would end up being superficial and leading to disappointment.”.
Instead, he continued, “let us devote time to keeping our hearts attentive and vigilant as we wait for Jesus, so that his loving presence may forever become the treasure of our lives and our hearts.”.
Fast-paced society, pursuit of results
Next, continuing with the same line of argument, he addressed English speakers, talking to them about our “fast-paced society.”.
In this society, “we often feel overwhelmed by the pressures and expectations of greater efficiency and optimal results,” he emphasized, perhaps also thinking about the quarterly reporting obligations of companies listed on the world's largest financial market, New York's Wall Street.
When we feel this way, “let us remember the words we have just heard from the Gospel of St. Matthew: ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ (Mt 6:21).”.
Pope Leo XIV listens to students at a Christmas concert in the gym of the Pontifical Paul VI College in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on December 16, 2025. (Photo CNS/Vatican Media).
The treasure of our heart
The treasure of our hearts “is not the goods of this world, nor prosperity, nor success, nor admirable achievements,” said the Pontiff.
St. Augustine described our hearts as restless. “That restlessness is neither arbitrary nor disordered; it is oriented toward heaven, whose gates are opened to us thanks to the incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we enter into the dynamism of his love and grace, he will triumph in us, not only at the hour of our death, but also today, right now, and every day from now on,” he invited everyone.
His words to Spanish speakers have gone even further, if one can say so, by emphasizing that “we are not machines.”.
Back to basics: “We are not machines”
“Jesus, crucified and risen, makes us a promise: the heart that seeks him will not be disappointed.” And “he helps us understand that amid our daily commitments, with their high risk of distraction, despair, or meaninglessness, we are invited to return to the essence of our existence.”.
“The Lord reminds us that we are not machines but men and women with a heart, which is the synthesis of our thoughts, feelings, and affections. It is the center of our person.
The treasure is in the heart, not in large financial investments.
In its catechesis At the beginning, concluding the Jubilee Year cycle, on ‘Jesus Christ our hope,” the Pope had said:
“It is, then, in the heart that the true treasure is preserved, not in the safes of the earth, not in large financial investments, today more than ever insane and unjustly concentrated, idolized at the bloody price of millions of human lives and the devastation of God's creation.”.
Pope Leo XIV shows off the tennis racket he received as a gift from students and staff at the Pontifical Paul VI College in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, after attending the Christmas concert in the school gym on December 16, 2025. (Photo CNS/Vatican Media).
The concern of Saint Augustine
The restlessness of St. Augustine's heart has hovered over the Pope's meditation. “With this adjective, ‘restless,’ St. Augustine makes us understand the impulse of human beings who tend toward their full realization. The complete phrase refers to the beginning of the Confessions, where Augustine writes: ‘Lord, you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you’ (I, 1,1).”.
Finally, the Pope concluded by speaking of the dynamism of God's love. “Jesus Christ, through his Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection, has given a solid foundation to this hope. The restless heart will not be disappointed if it enters into the dynamism of love for which it was created.”.
Sacrament of Penance and spiritual retreats
Minutes earlier, Leo XIV did not forget a traditional Christian element in the run-up to Christmas, in this case when addressing the Polish people: “Prepare yourselves for the coming of Jesus, especially through the sacrament of Penance and spiritual retreats, where you will experience true peace, joy, and meaning in life.”.
List of conscientious objectors or list of those conscientiously singled out?
The creation of a registry of doctors who object to performing abortions reopens the debate on the limits of the state and raises the question of whether this measure violates freedom of conscience and professional autonomy.
December 17, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
Those of us who received the letter calling us up for compulsory military service (the Mili) know perfectly well what conscientious objection is. It was a way of defending our deepest principles and not being forced to shoot a CETME rifle at a potential enemy whom you did not know and who had done nothing to you. It was a concrete way of exercising your personal ethics, shaped by your own experiences and beliefs. This “legitimate pacifism,» in a way, ended up being a way to avoid military service through alternative social service, which meant fulfilling the civic duty of every citizen by performing any necessary service to society.
In 2016, the Oscar-winning film Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson, was released, giving us a better understanding of what it meant to be a conscientious objector in war. Based on real events, it tells the true story of soldier Desmond Doss, who, due to his religious beliefs, refused to use violence or shoot at the enemy. This groundbreaking stance, highly unusual in American society, took time to be understood. But this soldier was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman in real life, after suffering ridicule and humiliation for defending his principles. However, conscientious objection is not limited to the military sector; it extends to any place where we can act on a moral decision that arises from our conscience.
This right has become a hot topic in the healthcare sector, given that many doctors in the public health system do not want to perform abortions. Recently, the Ministry of Health approved the “protocol for the creation of a register of conscientious objectors to voluntary termination of pregnancy,” with the intention of recruiting doctors to perform this procedure in the public system, through a mandatory list of conscientious objectors. Ayuso has decided not to draw up this list in Madrid and not to send it, which has led to the launch of an administrative dispute that the ministry will initiate, as announced by Mónica García, against the Community of Madrid. Leaving aside the regulation and the controversy, getting to the heart of the matter raises several questions: Why is it necessary to register objectors if abortion is free and real in Spain, and 106,172 abortions were performed in 2024? Why is there a desire to force doctors who object to register, but not those who do want to perform abortions, as is the case with doctors who do want to practice euthanasia? Can't these doctors be incentivized, if there is so much interest?
78.74% of voluntary terminations of pregnancy (VTP) in Spain were performed in private centers (with public funds), because there are not enough doctors in the public system who are willing to perform them. And that is not well regarded; they want doctors to come from the public system. But that does not mean that the freedom of conscientious objectors should be restricted. On the contrary, isn't pointing out doctors who do not want to perform this violent obstetric procedure, by means of a list, like pointing out the “traitors” to the system that the ministry wants to impose, as if they were Jews marked in the Nazi persecution, when the neighbors in a neighborhood marked the homes of Semites they wanted to denounce with a Star of David? Although it is not public information, politically within the ministry the data can be used.
Abortion is not a “pleasant” experience, certainly not for the woman who finds herself in this difficult situation, but neither is it for the doctor who has to perform it. Just as the patient is free to make her own decision, the doctor must have the same freedom. Perhaps even more so in their case, due to the Hippocratic Oath, as it is the specific way to act conscientiously and professionally, without being coerced, exercising the right not to be violated in such a delicate situation.
Family breakdowns do not have to be irreversible, and efforts can be made, including by institutions, to restore what has been broken. This is one of the lines of work of the FASE Foundation, which next year will celebrate half a century of operation with a focus on the family. Its general director, Alberto San Juan, welcomes Omnes at its central headquarters in Madrid, which usually hosts the foundation's sessions and conferences and, since January, its new family mediation course.
San Juan, who has extensive political experience, has held, among other positions, the post of Director General for Minors in the Community of Madrid. A sensible politician, he knows what he is talking about, as he has extensive experience in social services.
What does the foundation do?
—Our goal is to support families. And that support takes the form of conflict resolution and helping families overcome the difficulties they face. In reality, many times the difficulties families face arise because they don't know how to do things. They don't know how to deal with conflict resolution, vulnerability... FASE is there to help. Often, with some training or support, the family is able to move forward. We have a lot of experience in family issues. Next year we will celebrate our 50th anniversary.
With this milestone anniversary, fifty years, in mind, what are your plans?
—We have three specific projects. Perhaps the most innovative is to launch a course on restorative family mediation. Then there is the book we have just published, Leadership in family policies. Thirdly, a specific mental health program, I Need Therapy. One of the biggest problems that exist in families is therapy and mental health.
What does that consist of? I need therapy.?
—It is a program run by psychology and psychiatry professionals trained by Dr. Carlos Chiclana, which aims to help families through mental health therapy. We have found that, given this enormous mental health problem, there are tremendous difficulties with waiting lists. But mental health and waiting lists are a very dangerous combination because people need therapy when they need it. They need to be treated now.
What are you doing?
—On the one hand, we manage to shorten waiting times as much as possible and offer therapy that anyone can receive. Why everyone? Because it is therapy for vulnerable people.
Vulnerability does not only refer to economic reasons; it can arise from a thousand circumstances. For example, a large family with eight children, or however many, that is not poor (does not have economic vulnerability). But if that therapy cost €100, for example, they would probably give it up. It is therapy at a reduced price and applied immediately, when needed.
What are the most common problems in this area?
—It depends on age. We face very worrying challenges with young people, but above all, the problems of suicide are staggering. The data is horrifying. Approximately 10 to 15 people commit suicide every day, including many young people. It is a very preventable and very painful death due to the circumstances.
There are also problems such as anorexia, bulimia, abuse, bullying at school, and addictions (pornography, cell phones, alcoholism, gaming, etc.). There are many difficulties among young people that need to be addressed, and they are solvable.
The restorative family mediation project: what does it mean?
—We attach fundamental importance to this course. Mediation is a means of resolving conflicts within the family, and this mediation helps to bring any existing conflict to a satisfactory conclusion. For example, when a couple decides to separate, mediation helps them to bring the circle to a satisfactory close: we are going to separate amicably, in the most friendly way possible, and in the best way possible.
Specifically, restorative family mediation adds that it attempts to heal what was broken. It gets to the root of the conflict, and if there is a solution, it attempts to fix it. We believe that if it can be solved, it should be attempted.
There must be a commitment on both sides to want to resolve the issue. There will be times when it is impossible to resolve the case and the recommendation will be separation, annulment, or whatever. I am convinced that in many cases, the family can try again a second time.
This course begins on January 13.
Is there any official recognition for this course?
—Of course. We are a recognized foundation for teaching these courses. People who complete the course leave with a qualification that enables them to practice. They are professional mediators and can open a practice to provide mediation services.
What kind of people can use this family mediation service?
—Anyone who has difficulties within their family, or a problem they don't know how to solve. It's not just for divorce cases, it's for all kinds of family conflicts, from two siblings who disagree about an inheritance to a family's difficulties in caring for their elders. When a problem in a family starts to cause more trouble than necessary, that's when you can ask for mediation. An argument between husband and wife, between siblings, conflicts with the extended family, or between parents and children. It's mediation or support.
The fundamental difference is that restorative family mediation seeks to resolve the problem at its source. To restore what is broken. Mediation, on the other hand, is simply reaching an agreement to bring something to a close.
In this family mediation, with an emphasis on restoration, I believe that FASE is unique.
—We are not aware of any others, although there may be other institutions. But yes, at least we are very innovative. Since we believe that the family is the foundation of society, we fight to keep families together. Although that will not always be possible, of course.
Self-esteem often comes into play. Sometimes, when there is a conflict, you refuse to give in to a sibling or whoever it may be, but if there is mediation, someone from outside, you give in. However, that clash between two family members often festers.
Training trainers is, I believe, a unique opportunity to defend the family.
There are public institutions that also have mediators, but they do not seem to have any influence in fighting to prevent the marriage from breaking up.
—It is true that the autonomous communities have family support centers where mediation is provided. But there, they seek to settle something that the families have already agreed upon: an inheritance, for example. In this mediation, the aim is to reach an agreement to resolve a problem, but not to restore relations between family members.
Or a married couple who have already decided to separate, to finalize the divorce agreement in the best possible way. Not to try to give that marriage a second chance if both want to.
We, of course, respect people's freedom to the utmost, but we also point out that what can be saved in a marriage can be saved and that a second chance can be given.
How is a mediator trained? Psychology and law subjects?
—A little bit of everything. It's a hundred hours, with practical training in mediation. Nacho Tornel, who is a renowned mediator and one of the most authoritative figures in Spain on the subject of mediation, is our academic director.
This first course will start with a group of 25 places for mediators.
We haven't even launched it publicly yet, and we're already receiving calls from people who want to receive mediation and others who want to be trained. We're extremely excited.
It is a very interesting course for anyone who interacts with other people, because conflict resolution is part of everyday life. How can you resolve conflicts with other people? Mediation, support, and guidance in conflicts are fundamental skills that everyone should know.
—Yes, at our headquarters. It is 100% in-person, to maintain that connection and closeness with the students.
How many people can benefit from restorative mediation?
—The divorce statistics are not good. Currently, 50% of marriages in Spain end in divorce. Others say the figure is 70%. The reality is that there are approximately 100,000 marriages per year in Spain and 70,000 divorces.
It is one of the main challenges facing society. There is a lot of talk about housing, corruption, unemployment, but I think family breakdown is one of the most serious problems. In the end, what makes you happy is family life. Where you give the most love, where you receive the most love, where you are loved for who you are, where you truly feel happy, where you truly fulfill yourself is in the family. If you don't have a family, you are missing something.
If we want to build a stable society where values can be passed on and individuals can develop, we are convinced that this must start with the family.
How does FASE relate to other family counseling centers (diocesan centers, COFs, for example) throughout Spain? Are they competitors?
—They do fantastic work and accomplish a great deal of good. However, ours is a different role. It is a title recognized by the Department of Justice.
It is now mandatory to go through mediation before going to trial. So, if you go to court and say you don't want to separate, they force you to go through mediation first. This is a very positive thing.
Those who practice mediation in COFs should take courses to become certified so that they can practice in all areas of law. In fact, many lawyers are signing up for this course in order to be recognized as family mediators, because it is a prerequisite for going to a lawyer.
The family policy leadership book is another project that stems from the regular sessions organized by FASE, aimed at local politicians. What is the aim?
—We are convinced that politicians have a direct influence on society and can change things. In fact, they are the ones who make the laws, and from the town halls they can change many things, from property tax to a whole host of programs for families.
We have thoroughly diagnosed the problems facing families, and we also know that politicians are often unaware of these problems because day-to-day life is complex and because they may not be experts in social services.
Our goal is to educate politicians so that they understand the reality of families' situations. Once they are aware of the problems, we give them the tools to solve them.
What tools?
—From two perspectives. We choose a topic: Family and disability, for example. An academic gives a presentation on disability in the family, and a politician who has had good practices in disability explains it to the others.
Are the results noticeable?
—It is unusual for a politician to want to do things badly. When politicians become aware of a problem, they want to solve it. Often, however, they are either unaware of the problem or do not know how to solve it. That is why the courses we offer show politicians how these problems have been solved in different places. Good municipal practices in other municipalities.
That gives a fantastic result. Politicians have the opportunity to consult other assistants, academics, and teachers about how they do things. In politics, especially in city councils, when the mayor makes his lists of councilors, he assigns responsibilities to certain people. When you are appointed councilor for social services, in this case, it may be that you have had no experience of social services in your life and know absolutely nothing about them.
This program of politicians is to give that support to councilors or deputies in resolving the conflicts they have to study.
How many politicians, councilors, deputies, etc. have attended over the years?
—It's a well-known course, held once a month. Between 50 and 60 participants attend. It's like a light rain that gradually soaks in and shapes things. Then they ask us for information and documents. The book we've just published is a very useful tool for them.
‘Bariona’: Jean-Paul Sartre raised the banner of Christmas hope in the face of the Nazis
‘Bariona, Son of Thunder, an exceptional work by Jean-Paul Sartre, helps us understand his thinking in an extreme context. It was written and performed at Christmas 1940 in a Nazi prison camp near Trier, where Sartre was one of 15,000 prisoners. In Bariona, Sartre raised the banner of hope.
Francisco Otamendi-December 17, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
The first play by French philosopher and writer Jean Paul Sartre, Bariona, Son of Thunder, was conceived and performed in a Nazi camp, with Sartre as a prisoner there. The central theme was the mystery of Christmas, and the message was one of hope. The existentialist philosopher reserved the role of Balthazar, one of the main characters, for himself.
The story went as follows. In November 1940, some priests from Stalag 12D, a Nazi camp near Trier (Germany), obtained permission to celebrate Midnight Mass in one of the barracks, according to Javier Marrodán, a priest and professor from Navarre, in a review to the 2012 edition of Voz de Papel.
Genesis of the play ‘Barioná’
Among the 15,000 prisoners was Jean-Paul Sartre, already a well-known writer at the time. He had joined the French Army as a meteorologist and was arrested when the Germans occupied France.
Jean-Paul Sartre wanted to contribute to the celebration and offered to write and perform a play about Christmas. He was 35 years old, had already published Nausea, was writing Being and Nothingness, was an ‘official’ atheist, and organized courses on Heidegger and existentialism for his fellow camp inmates.
Act of spiritual and collective resistance
In just six weeks, Sarte not only wrote the script, but also distributed roles, organized rehearsals, supervised props and music, and played one of the main characters, Baltasar, himself.
The stage became an act of spiritual and collective resistance: an affirmation of meaning, hope, and coexistence in the face of oppression.
Barioná, a man without hope
The protagonist, Barioná, is the leader of the Jews of Bethsur, a village near Bethlehem. He hates the Romans and is skeptical of the shepherds' story. They claim that an angel has announced the birth of the Messiah in a nearby stable.
Barionah is a man without hope, defeated, with no illusions about the future. Not even the pregnancy of his wife Sarah alleviates his gloomy and pessimistic thoughts. He too had longed for the coming of the Messiah, but not that of a helpless child.
Balthazar highlights Jesus as a sign of hope
From this point on, the drama introduces the birth of Jesus as a sign of hope for the world. The shepherds bring the news of the arrival of the Messiah, and characters such as Balthazar (played by Sartre) talk with Barioná about the importance of hope, human dignity, and freedom.
Baltasar explains to him with theological depth—and patience, Marrodán notes—that God has come down to Earth for him, that he has chosen to carry out this madness even though it is hard to believe. And that is why every man is now much more than he ever aspired to be, that the birth of Jesus is a cause for hope and gives suffering its true meaning.
Profound impact among prisoners
The work had a profound impact on the prisoners. According to testimonies, many remember Sartre's words about the meaning of suffering and hope years later, even though the text was not widely circulated for decades.
Several authors highlight that Barioná combines history and life context, Christmas as a narrative of human hope, and existentialist philosophy applied to action: freedom, responsibility, and human commitment in the face of suffering.
The mystery of Christmas, and mystery in Sartre's life
Some prisoners converted, and others “clearly” remembered Sartre-Baltasar's words about suffering and the greatness of redemption years later. This has been documented, for example, by Charles Moeller, author of the famous volumes on ‘20th Century Literature and Christianity,’ and Professor José Ángel Agejas, philosopher and professor at the Francisco de Vitoria University (Madrid).
On that Christmas Eve in 1940, “Sartre added to the great mystery of Christmas the not insignificant mystery of his own life,” he concludes. Javier Marrodán, PhD in Communication from the University of Navarra. “With Baltasar's help, of course.” Incidentally, Marrodán wrote his doctoral thesis on Albert Camus. But that's another story.
«Towards the homeland of eternal Love,» a new poetry anthology to rediscover Christmas
The work, comprising more than 500 pages and 270 poems, is a good read for those who enjoy meditating on the mysteries of the Incarnation at Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, it arrives in bookstores. Towards the homeland of eternal Love, a unique work by Luis Fernández Conde (Madrid, 1944), designed for those who wish to contemplate the Christian mystery through the beauty of words. A philosopher and journalist by training, Fernández Conde offers a journey through eight centuries of religious poetry in the Spanish language, from the earliest medieval texts to contemporary voices.
Luis Fernández Conde, author of the anthology.
The work contains poems about the birth and childhood of Jesus Christ. “It is a journey that is both aesthetic and theological.”,“ explains the author. A combination that, he emphasizes, allows the anthology to be read "even slowly, contemplatively”, as if advancing through a living story: that of salvation.
A golden rule: the “three Ps”
When asked about the criteria for selecting the poems, Fernández Conde summarizes his method in a simple mnemonic rule. “He chose a poetic text when it met the following three conditions: it had to be pious, popular, and poetic.”This threefold requirement—Christian content, accessible clarity, and literary quality—gives the anthology a unique character.
"I wanted people to be able to enjoy the great beauty they contain, while at the same time gaining a greater understanding of the Christian faith through the resources of poetry.", he adds.
Meticulous research work
The book's genesis has been long and meticulous. Much of the research was carried out at the National Library: “I handled the originals, which allowed me to find unpublished texts and compare others published in later versions, enabling me to correct typos, errors, and sticky alterations.".
In addition to ancient manuscripts, this volume includes reliable critical editions of major 20th-century collections, making it a rigorous reference tool.
What inspires poets so much when they talk about the birth of Christ? For Fernández Conde, the answer is clear: “The same feelings—tenderness, pain, joy, poverty—that occur to the Holy Family and are at once fully human and fully divine.”All of this has a common denominator: “Love with a capital L”. Hence, so many verses employ the double meaning of human love “poured out to the divine".
A tradition that lives on
According to its author, the anthology demonstrates the cultural and catechetical power of religious poetry. “Poetry with religious content has always been present in the history of the Church as a form of liturgical and doctrinal expression.”, he recalls. Christmas carols, religious plays, popular compositions... A memory passed down from generation to generation.
"Popular Christian poetry is still alive”,“ he states. "Think of Christmas carols at Christmas or saetas at Holy Week.”. And he adds a significant detail: the Hispanic world probably preserves “the world's most important collection of popular Christian poetry".
Careful editorial design
The edition also stands out for its attention to detail: a size of large print, notes, and introductions On the same page, visually clear blocks of verses, repetitions indicated in bold.“All of this achieves a unified visual representation of the poetic text, showcasing the musicality inherent in every poem.” explains the author.
In addition, the volume includes an index system designed to facilitate consultation by students, teachers, philologists, or curious readers.
Who would you recommend it to?“For those who want to enjoy contemplative and culturally enriching reading”. And also to those who study the Spanish language, as this anthology helps to understand the cultural background of many expressions in Spanish.
Surprises among manuscripts
In his compilation work, Fernández Conde has discovered little-known gems. “The work went from surprise to surprise.”, he admits. Among them, a delicate anonymous seguidilla included in a volume from 1662, whose simple emotion captivated him from the first reading:
Come, come to the valley, divine shepherd boy, may the breeze invite you of my sighs...
Oh, my child! How, being beautiful, Sun, Are you shivering with cold?
Elisa Lisiero is an official of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life and a research professor at the University of the Holy Cross in Rome. She is primarily involved in the study of ecclesial movements and new communities, with a special focus on the legal status of the faithful within these aggregative realities.
A few days ago, he participated in a conference on Freedom as a legal right in the Church, at the Faculty of Canon Law at the University of Navarra. Canon law may seem complex, but it is the structure that allows the Church to develop in a healthy way.
What did you want to emphasize in your lecture on freedom within associations and movements?
—I wanted to emphasize a fundamental idea: that the freedom that a believer has within any association or movement is not absolute. It is a freedom that must always be exercised within very precise boundaries: within the framework of associative law, within the context of canonical norms, and, of course, within the organizational structure and statutes of each community.
However, the crucial point is that this freedom refers first and foremost to the fundamental rights of the faithful. This presupposes the recognition of the absolute priority of their status as members of the Church.
Tensions or problems regarding freedom arise precisely when this fundamental dimension—which belongs to the constitutional dimension of “being faithful”—is not sufficiently considered. This may be due to various factors, such as a mistaken view of charism, deviations that lead to abuse of authority or failure to adequately recognize each person's state of life, or a mistaken conception of obedience, especially in those associations where there are sections of members living in common.
In recent years, have many Church institutions changed part of their statutes to bring them into line with the new regulations of the Holy See?
—The most frequent changes have been made to comply with the “General Decree of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life on Associations of the Faithful,» published in 2021. This text regulates the exercise of governance in international associations of the faithful, in particular the maximum duration of terms of office in the central governing body (cf. Arts. 1 and 2 General Decree 2021) and representativeness, which refers to the fact that all members pleno iure be represented in the election of the central body, that is, have an active voice, directly or indirectly, in the constitution of the body that elects the central governing body at the international level (cf. Art. 3 General Decree 2021).
As part of a routine process, some institutions have also made amendments to their statutes because an update was necessary after several years had passed since their founding or since the last revision. In some cases, changes had to be made because problematic issues arose concerning the living conditions of members or the style of governance.
What specific rights of the faithful has the Church been trying to protect in recent years in the area of spiritual guidance?
—One right that is normally claimed is the right to privacy, established in canon 220 of the Code of Canon Law, which states that “no one is permitted to violate the right of each person to protect his or her own privacy.” In accordance with this right, the faithful must be recognized as having the freedom to choose the person to whom they wish to express their conscience, whether it be a confessor or a spiritual companion. It should be remembered that, in the case of confession, there is an explicit right to choose one's confessor (cf. c. 991), and that, for religious, it is established that superiors must recognize the proper freedom regarding the sacrament of penance and spiritual direction (cf. c. 630 § 1).
What mechanisms exist or should be strengthened to ensure that accompaniment does not become a form of spiritual control or coercion?
—The first aspect is that there should be freedom in the choice of spiritual companion or director, as I have already said. Another fundamental aspect is the preparation of those who exercise these functions, beginning with adequate theological training and continuing with the need for them to attain a certain degree of human, Christian, and spiritual maturity.
The companion must also have a fair understanding of their role as a mediator in the search for God's will, without in any way replacing the person and their conscience. In reality, spiritual and conscience abuses sometimes originate from this: when the person is replaced in their search for God's will.
Finally, it is also necessary to avoid any confusion between the internal forum and the external forum, which can occur, above all, when the spiritual companion also holds positions of authority in the association and uses the information received in the context of accompaniment to govern.
The person being accompanied needs a certain degree of freedom to seek spiritual guidance. They should seek advice, but they should not seek to have others choose or decide for them.
It is very important that the faithful know their rights at the ecclesial level, because I believe that many of the deviations occur because there is a lack of knowledge of one's own rights and of the legal rights that are compromised.
Is there any specific mechanism that is being considered for inclusion in the Code of Canon Law to prevent, in general, abuses of power and spiritual abuse?
—Currently, there is much reflection on these issues at the doctrinal level. It should be noted that, in the current canon law, there is a criminal law on the abuse of power, office, or position (c. 1378). Some cases of abuse of power could be referred to this criminal provision. Regarding spiritual abuse, there are no universally recognized definitions, nor is there criminal protection, although progress is being made in this area.
At the suggestion of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on November 22, 2024, Pope Francis approved the establishment of a working group, chaired by the Prefect of the Congregation for Legislative Texts, to examine the possibility of classifying the crime of “spiritual abuse” and to present concrete proposals in this regard.
Three Nobel Peace Prize winners take center stage these days
Three Nobel Peace Prize winners are in the spotlight these days, for different reasons. Narges Mohammadi (Iran), defender of women's rights, and opposition figures María Corina Machado (Venezuela) and Ales Bialiatski (Belarus).
Francisco Otamendi-December 16, 2025-Reading time: 2minutes
Three Nobel Prize winners have been in the media spotlight recently for various reasons, becoming the focus of attention. Narges Mohammadi (Iran, Nobel Prize in 2023), María Corina Machado (Venezuela, Nobel Prize in 2025), and Ales Bialiatski (Belarus, Nobel Prize in 2022).
Iranian Narges Mohammadi, convicted in 2022 for denouncing violence against women and released from prison on medical grounds at the end of 2024, was violently arrested last Friday. The Nobel Committee has expressed concern about the “brutal” arrest and has urged Tehran to clarify the whereabouts of the human rights defender and to release her immediately.
Venezuela: serious risks for Machado
Venezuelan María Corina Machado has won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her leadership in the fight for democratic rights in Venezuela. The Committee has called “A courageous and committed advocate for peace: a woman who keeps the flame of democracy alive amid growing darkness.”.
However, he did not arrive in time for the main ceremony on December 10 in Oslo, due to difficulties leaving Venezuela and reaching Norway. One of his daughters accepted the award on his behalf. Machado faced serious risks in leaving the country, according to his statements, but he finally made it to Norway.
Belarus: Nobel laureate released Bialiatski and opposition figure Kolesnikova
Belarus released 123 prisoners on Saturday, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova, following an agreement negotiated with the United States. The announcement was made by the human rights group Viasna, according to reports. informed.
On his way to Lithuania, the activist told a Belarusian opposition media outlet after his release that “the fight continues.”.
The news came after US official John Coale reported that Washington was going to lift sanctions against Belarusian potash. This component, of which Belarus is a major producer, is used in the manufacture of fertilizers.
North American mediation
In recent months, US President Donald Trump has urged Belarus to release hundreds of political prisoners in the country. In return, Washington has partially lifted sanctions against the Belarusian airline Belavia. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has imprisoned thousands of opponents since his re-election in 2020.
According to Swiss sources, Coale added that Lukashenko's good relationship with Vladimir Putin could be “very useful” in US mediation efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia.
143 Nobel laureates, 112 individuals and 31 institutions
According to official data, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 106 times between 1901 and 2025, with 143 awards, of which 112 are individuals and 31 are organizations, among which the Catholic Church (nor any Pope) is not included.
The following have been awarded prizes: Mother Teresa, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Lech Walesa of Poland (1983), and Pérez Esquivel of Argentina (1980). Also leaders Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist, and Desmond Tutu, an Anglican, and the Buddhist Dalai Lama.
Four US presidents have been awarded the prize: Theodore Roosevelt (1906), Woodrow Wilson (1919), Jimmy Carter (2002), and Barack Obama (2009). South African president Nelson Mandela (1993) was also awarded the prize.
Marriage is a pact, an agreement that we establish in a certain way at the beginning of the relationship and that we must reestablish, again and again, in different ways.
December 15, 2025-Reading time: 4minutes
I often feel like I'm just surviving my marriage; that I lack the strategies or resources to enjoy it more. Something always gets in the way: either the kids demanding nonstop attention, the demands of our jobs outside the home, or material needs of some kind: we're out of diaper wipes, cooking oil, or the laundry won't dry no matter what... And, above all, the most difficult thing to overcome is the discomfort that settles between my husband and me when our conversations are reduced to talking about all of this, asking each other for things, and managing the children.
When we spend a long time like this, when life at home is pure management, it is inevitable that we get caught up in mental loops, searching for meaning in this daily repetition that seems to be overshadowing our entire lives. You may even find yourself thinking: when did I get myself into this mess? How do I get out of it? Or even, what if I've chosen the wrong life? I think these are natural questions that we may ask ourselves internally.
In an article published in the New York Times, Alain de Botton states: “The good news is that it doesn't matter if we realize we married the wrong person. We shouldn't abandon that person, but we should abandon the romantic idea on which the Western understanding of marriage has been based for the last 250 years: that there is a perfect being who can satisfy all our needs and every one of our desires.”.
Far from agreeing with everything this thinker argues, there is one idea in his argument that I would like to highlight at all costs. Of course, marriage is a legal contract that seeks to protect all its members; of course, marriage is a sacrament of the Catholic Church where God manifests himself with all his grace so that we can move forward with this intense relationship.
But marriage is also a pact, an agreement that we establish in a certain way at the beginning of the relationship and that we must reestablish again and again in different ways because, with the passage of time and the constant changes that occur throughout our lives, many details of that first pact cease to clearly define our daily lives. Furthermore, many of the expectations we had at the beginning have not been fulfilled, and we must review them so as not to discard the entire relationship along with them.
That question about the meaning of all this chaos is crying out for husband and wife to find more creative ways to live their marriage, and that creativity becomes inevitable, since we are dealing with one of the most dynamic relationships that can exist between two human beings.
This creativity does not seek to break the relationship, but rather to redefine it in such a way that everything we decided when we said “I do” makes sense again. And only a husband and wife can do this for each other; only they can answer questions about the meaning of their marriage and commit to seeing their love through to the end, until death do us part.
This way of looking at our marriage as a constant renewal of that first covenant of love is diametrically opposed to more rigid cultural and ideological proposals, such as the one presented to us in the film “Marriage Story.” There, we see much of the dynamics that a marriage experiences, but we see very little of the creativity that spouses can develop to improve the situation.
This film sensitively portrays the story of a couple united by a child and a shared passion: theater. He directs a company and she is the lead actress in his plays. There is a sense of stability between them: they seem to know each other deeply, admire each other, and care for their child with great dedication.
Everything seems to be going well between them, until one day she announces that she wants to change jobs and move to another city. His reaction is superficial; he doesn't probe into what this plan means to her. He doesn't stop to consider his wife's deepest desires. Faced with this reaction, she decides to go ahead without fighting for an agreement with her husband. From that moment on, the story takes a turn for the worse. She starts a new professional life far from home, and the two begin a battle for custody of their child. A whirlwind of assumptions, repressed feelings, and questions arises, casting doubt on the meaning of what they have experienced up to that point. Both are trapped in a loop from which they do not know how to escape.
Deep down, the film narrates the collapse of a relationship incapable of having a story of its own, told by themselves and not by third parties. They share a love of theater and adore their son, but neither of these things helps them to rethink their relationship in a creative way without breaking it. Neither dares to open up completely to the other; that would mean arguing, experiencing tension, and having difficult and unpleasant conversations. They decide not to go there, not to clarify their feelings. She keeps quiet about what she has been feeling for a long time; he avoids confronting his wife's feelings, especially those he could have resolved.
The rigidity of the narrative lies precisely in this: in presenting a succession of events as if, by themselves, they made up the story of a marriage. And although the film is magnificent and accurately portrays the complexity of a couple's life together, it leaves many feelings unresolved, as if it were possible to live like this without clarifying them.
Divorce suddenly appears to be the only possible way for her to find the satisfaction she did not get with her husband. When they turn to lawyers, both reveal the essence of their relationship: it was a case of letting themselves go from the beginning, there was never any agreement between them. She herself admits it; she entered his life without any negotiation.
Once again, in that same article by Alain de Botton, I come across an idea that I want to highlight before finishing: “The best person for us is not the person who shares all our tastes (that person does not exist), but the person who can negotiate differences in tastes intelligently, the one who is good at disagreeing. Instead of that imagined idea of the perfect match, it is precisely the ability to tolerate differences generously that truly indicates who is the “least categorically wrong” person. Compatibility is an achievement of love; it should not be its precondition.”.
I think it is this, “the art of good discussion,” that would define the history of a good marriage.
Nativity scenes flood the Vatican and the Catholic world
Christmas “eats up” Advent. On the afternoon of Monday, December 15, the Nativity scene will be inaugurated in St. Peter's Square and the Christmas tree will be lit. The international exhibition ‘100 Nativity Scenes in the Vatican’ also continues under Bernini's Colonnade, and on Saturday, the living Nativity scene of Santa Maria Maggiore took place.
Francisco Otamendi-December 15, 2025-Reading time: 3minutes
On the Third Sunday of Advent, or Gaudete Sunday, while celebrating the Jubilee for Prisoners, the Pope emphasized that it is always possible to start again, and he called for hope in Jesus, whose birth is just a few days away. The anticipation for Christmas is already evident in the nativity scenes, representations of the Nativity of the Lord, which fill the Vatican and the Catholic world.
If Saturday's news was Pope Leo XIV's audience with Lithuanian Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas and the participants who would bring the ’Living Nativity Scene’ of Santa Maria Maggiore to life, today sees the opening of the nativity scene and the lighting of the tree in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.
The ceremony is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. and will be presided over by Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, together with Archbishop Emilio Nappa and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, Secretaries General of the same entity. The nativity scenes and the tree will remain on display until the end of Christmas, which coincides with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord on Sunday, January 11, 2026.
Italian municipalities and Costa Rican pro-life artist
On Monday morning, Pope Leo XIV will receive delegations from the dioceses of Bolzano-Bressanone and Nocera Inferiore-Sarno, led by their respective bishops, because the fir tree comes from the diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, and the nativity scene from the diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno.
There will also be representatives from the civil sphere. The municipalities of Lagundo and Ultimo, and those from the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese area. A delegation from Costa Rica, creator of ‘Nacimiento Gaudium’, was present during the visit to the Pope.’, work by Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz Soto, in the Paul VI Hall. The work emphasizes the message of peace at Christmas and calls on the world to protect life from conception.
Nativity scene inspired by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
The nativity scene in St. Peter's Square was designed and developed in Nocera Inferiore-Sarno. The scene is located in a 17 x 12 meter rectangle, with a maximum height of 7.70 meters, according to the Holy See. It features characteristic local elements and architectural elements inhabited by St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori and the Servants of God Don Enrico Smaldone and Alfonso Russo.
The pavement features ancient Roman roads made of stone slabs. Shepherds and life-size animal figures are anchored to it. The idea was to combine art and spirituality in an environment that evokes faith and tradition.
Live nativity scene at Santa María la Mayor
This Saturday, during an audience with the performers of the ‘Living Nativity Scene’ of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Pope encouraged them to spread this message and keep this tradition alive. “You are a gift of light for our world, which desperately needs to continue to have hope.”.
“The nativity scene is an important sign: it reminds us that we are part of a wonderful adventure of salvation in which we are never alone,” added Pope Leo, quoting St. Augustine.
The Pontiff recalled the origins of tradition. It was precisely the “Holy Crib,” an ancient relic, which, together with his journey to the Holy Land, inspired St. Francis, in 1223, to celebrate ‘Christmas at Greccio’ for the first time.
Depicting the Nativity of the Lord
“Since then, the custom of representing the Nativity of the Lord in various ways has spread throughout different parts of the world, depicting the God who ‘comes without weapons, without force, […] to conquer the pride, violence, and greed of man […] and guide us to our true identity’ (Benedict XVI, Catechesis, December 23, 2009).”.
The Pope also mentioned Pope Francis‘ Apostolic Letter ’Admirabile Signum“. Leo XIV said that, before the Nativity scene, ”as we contemplate the Christmas scene, we are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the One who became man to meet every man.".
Exhibition ‘100 Nativity Scenes in the Vatican’
On Monday, December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the sample international exhibition ‘100 Presepi in Vaticano’ (100 Nativity Scenes in the Vatican), under Bernini's Colonnade, which will be open until January 8, 2026.
The pieces come from 32 countries and are made of glass, silk, paper, resin, and many other materials. Among them are many Europeans, such as Italy, France, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, and Switzerland.
And they have also come from other parts of the world, such as the United States, Peru, Eritrea, Korea, Venezuela, Taiwan, Brazil, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Paraguay, and India.
The different nations are represented by their respective embassies to the Holy See, which have promoted the event in their own countries. Admission is free, with no reservation required.
Attack in Sydney leaves twelve dead and injured
As Christmas approaches, the wave of violence continues. Yesterday, two armed men attacked Jewish people attending an event celebrating the first day of Hanukkah in an apparent terrorist attack in Sydney, New South Wales police said, according to reports. OSV News.
At a press conference in Sydney on December 14, just hours after the shooting, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told reporters that 12 people were dead, including one of the gunmen, and that 29 people were injured and taken to local hospitals at the time of writing.
Fabio Rosini, born in Rome in 1961, is an Italian priest with a degree in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He currently directs the vocational ministry of the Diocese of Rome. He is known for his catechesis on the Ten Commandments, which has been widely disseminated internationally. He has also enjoyed great success as a writer, with works such as The Art of Fighting Well, The Art of Starting Over, or The Art of Healthy Living.
For more than ten years, Rosini has collaborated with Vatican Radio, commenting on the Sunday Gospel. In addition, he has developed various catechesis for Vatican News, addressing topics such as Lent, Advent, and biblical characters, offering profound reflections on the Christian faith.
Rosini has a great ability to convey the Word of God with depth and clarity, and it is no surprise that he is a professor of homiletics at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. In this work, he offers us some quick-read Sunday homilies, commenting on the Sunday Gospels of liturgical cycle A, with a special focus on the texts of the evangelist Luke. The texts are approximately 3,000 characters long, which is equivalent to one page.
More than just a collection of traditional homilies, Rosini's book seeks to convince the reader that the Gospel is not only a doctrine to be learned, but an invitation to live an authentic experience of faith. What is truly essential is not only to understand the message, but to embody it in daily life. Therefore, its purpose goes beyond explaining the biblical text: it aspires to challenge the reader to a profound and transformative encounter with Jesus Christ.
One of the great achievements of this work is its ability to reach both readers who are experienced in Christian life and those who are looking for a more accessible approach. The reflections, although concise, are full of wisdom that touches the heart and confronts the reader with an essential question: Are we willing to live what we understand?
Catholic scientists: Benito Daza de Valdés, jurist and optician
In 1634, Benito Daza de Valdés, jurist and optician, author of the first book on optometry in Spanish, passed away. This series of short biographies of Catholic scientists is published thanks to the collaboration of the Society of Catholic Scientists of Spain.
Ignacio del Villar-December 15, 2025-Reading time: 2minutes
Benito Daza de Valdés (1591–1634) was a Dominican clergyman and pioneer in optics and optometry who was born in Córdoba on March 31, 1591. Educated by his uncle, a canon of the collegiate church of San Hipólito, Benito graduated with a degree in Arts and Philosophy in 1606 from the University of Seville. He served as a notary for the Inquisition tribunal in Seville and in 1623 published his only known work, Uso de los antoios (Use of Antoios), in which antoios refers to eyeglasses. The work reveals aspects of Daza's personal life. He suffered from serious illnesses in childhood, including lameness and «stone disease.» His devotion to the Virgin of Fuensanta is expressed in the dedication, where he thanks the Virgin for the miraculous healing of his illnesses.
The work, divided into three books, stands out as the first systematic study of corrective lenses. Book One addresses the anatomy and properties of the eyes, discussing the essential conditions for good vision. It also classifies visual defects as natural and acquired. Book Two, «On remedies for sight through lenses,» presents ten chapters in which Daza explores the manufacture and differences between concave and convex glasses. He also addresses the magnification and reduction of images, as well as the prescription of glasses following a scale similar to the current diopter scale. Book Three consists of four dialogues between a patient, an optician, and a doctor, detailing common clinical cases in the determination of corrective lenses. It also explains how to perform cataract surgery.
Although Daza's work went unnoticed in his day, it was rediscovered in 1901 by the historian Von Rohr, which made other authors aware of the importance of his work in the field of corrective lenses. His contribution to optics and optometry is now recognized as a milestone in the evolution of this science. That is why the CSIC's Institute of Optics is named the Daza de Valdés Institute in his honor.
That night, the shadow was nothing more than an overflow of the inner flame. Friar Juan de la Cruz, wrapped in a sackcloth that barely mitigated the cold of the convent, lay with his eyes open like deep wells in his shadowy cell. Sleep, that mercy for weary bodies, had spurned him with an almost liturgical aloofness. The walls, white as bone, offered no comfort other than their sepulchral silence, and not even the creaking of moth-eaten wood or the distant whisper of a brother keeping vigil could dispel the intensity of that seemingly purposeless vigil. It was as if his soul, yearning for a Word that would make it spill over, refused to rest under the rule of the senses.
In that suspended moment, when the flesh makes no demands and the world seems to forget itself, the friar pondered—or perhaps listened within himself, like someone who cannot remember whether they are dreaming or praying—that night is more than the absence of sun: it is the active presence of the Beloved. And that musing was enough of a prelude for a gentle breeze to slip through the crack in the window, suggesting to him with eloquent subtlety that perhaps it was not insomnia that kept him awake, that perhaps that kind of trembling, too sublime to be called immodest, was one of those that arise from the depths of the soul when it knows it is being watched by God. There, in the nakedness of his small cell, with no light other than that which burned in his chest, he understood that the soul does not sleep because it does not want to cease loving, and that any rest that does not come from the Beloved is nothing but a false rest.
The roosters had not yet broken the stillness of the air when the sky began to tear apart into strips of indigo. It was then that Friar Juan sat up and sat on the mattress as if waiting for someone. He did not pray with words, or even with thoughts: it was his vigil that became prayer. The cold of the stone pierced his feet, but his face showed a serenity that was not of this world. And as the night drew to a close, with the timidity of those who have confessed a secret, he whispered—in a voice that he did not want to be heard by any soul in the convent, but which must have been thunder and joy in the throne room of the Lamb—“I will call this night beauty, because in it my soul has become heaven.”.
Christian Gálvez: “My conversion began with the way my wife loved me.”
In an interview with Omnes, Christian Gálvez, a famous television presenter in Spain, recounts his conversion process, marked by the love of his wife and a trip to Jerusalem.
Behind Christian Gálvez's television persona lies a passionate lover of history, literature, and the search for meaning. The presenter and writer's career—with novels, historical essays, and children's literature under his belt—has evolved toward increasingly personal and profound territories. After exploring the Renaissance and 20th-century Europe, in recent years he has turned his attention to the era of Jesus of Nazareth, captured in his book I called you by your name (2024) and in November 2025 he published Lucas, thus delving into the figure of the evangelist who, according to Christian, shows “a profile of the merciful Jesus, the Jesus of my faith".
It is no coincidence that Christian writes about the origins of Christianity, since he has undergone a powerful conversion.
After years away from the faith, his return began with the help of his wife, Patricia, and was cemented during a trip to Jerusalem where, he says, the Gospel ceased to be theory and became a living experience.
In this interview, Christian speaks openly about his conversion, how he has rebuilt his relationship with God, and how he has integrated his faith into his daily life and his work as a communicator.
After so many years away from faith, how would you describe your conversion process and your openness to God? Was it a journey of reason, an emotional or spiritual awakening?
—My conversion was a mixture of all three things, but above all, it was a return to love. I could say that there was reason, because I needed to understand, and that there was emotion, because there were moments that overwhelmed me, but if I am honest, my conversion process began with the way my wife loved me. Her patience, her clear gaze, her ability to accompany me without judging me... that opened up a space inside me that had been closed for years. Perhaps God used her to touch my life again. I always say that my encounter with faith has a name: Patricia.
You say that your faith was reborn in Jerusalem. What happened there that hadn't happened on other trips or in other readings?
Jerusalem was very important because there everything ceased to be theory and became reality. I had been reading, researching, studying... even denying for years, but in Jerusalem, the Gospel ceased to be a text and became a face. That trip was only possible because I was already accompanied by a love that was transforming me from within. Patricia helped me reconcile with myself, with my history, with my doubts, and with my fears. And when you travel to the Holy Land with a heart like that, the experience changes. It was there that I understood that faith is not a concept: it is a Person who looks at you and loves you.
You say that as a child you were a believer. How does the God you worshipped as a child differ from the Jesus you approach today? What has changed in your view of God that has invited you to follow him?
—As a child, I believed almost naturally. Faith was part of the environment, of the family, of life. I saw God as a distant, protective father, but without a personal relationship. It was the innocent faith of someone who had not yet asked questions, but had not suffered any major blows either.
In adolescence and early youth, Trojan horse He came into my life like an emotional earthquake. He awakened something that had been dormant: my curiosity about the human figure of Jesus. Benítez showed me a Jesus who was alive, approachable, and deeply human. That interest led to a more mature, more reflective, and more intimate faith than the one I had as a child.
But there came a moment in my life that cast a shadow over everything. A very difficult moment. While preparing a documentary on sex tourism in Cambodia, I witnessed a brutal reality: broken children, shattered lives, an evil that could not be categorized emotionally. For me, it was a spiritual crack. I asked myself: How can God allow this? And that impact led me, little by little, almost without my realizing it, to lose my faith.
I stopped praying, I stopped searching, I stopped believing. I was left with silence, pain, and many questions. And then, years later, what I always say was my true miracle appeared: my wife. Patricia didn't come to convince me of anything, or to preach to me, or to push me to believe again. She came to love me. To accompany me without judgment. To show me, through her way of being, the kind of love that I could no longer find anywhere else. And it was that love that began to rebuild me from within. Through her, I drew closer to Jesus again.
What has it meant for you to publicly acknowledge that you are a believer? Have you experienced any cancellation or rejection in your professional or personal life?
—Publicly acknowledging that I am a believer was an act of consistency. I work in communications; it would be absurd to hide something that gives meaning to my life today. Has there been criticism? Not much. Any ironic comments or strange gestures? Yes. But I haven't suffered any “cancellation,” either professionally or personally. And, honestly, even if there were rejection, the inner peace that comes from living what I believe to be true makes up for everything. Besides, I have a woman by my side who reminds me every day that love and faith are not to be hidden, but lived.
The Jesus of Lucas He is a Jesus who is close, simple, and merciful to the forgotten. Do you think that this Jesus and his love are also forgotten? After encountering his immense love, how do you feel called to make him known?
—I think so, that Jesus sometimes disappears amid debates and noise that have nothing to do with Him. The Jesus of Lucas It is the Jesus who draws near, who touches, who listens, who dignifies. That is the Jesus of my faith. And I see it as my responsibility to show a face of Jesus who heals, who embraces, who forgives, because I share Luke's vision. My tool? What I know how to do: tell stories. If my books, my programs, or my interviews can help someone discover a Jesus who is close to them, then my dedication will have been meaningful.
You talk about Luke's invisibility. About how he makes himself invisible to make way for the light of Jesus. How do you experience that tension between being a familiar face and, at the same time, aspiring to that inner invisibility that Luke proposes?
—Lucas has taught me something crucial: it's not about disappearing, but about being transparent. When people see me, they should also see, or above all, what moves me inside. And here I return to my wife: she helps me keep my feet on the ground, reminding me that I'm not here to shine, but to share. The greatest thing I can do is to ensure that the light is not mine, but ours.
Have you received any messages or do you know of any cases of people who, as a result of your work or your personal story, have also embarked on a journey of faith?
—Yes, and I still get excited every time it happens. People who tell me that, as a result of I have called you by your name, or after listening to an interview, they have returned to their faith, or decided to reconcile with God, or simply begun to ask themselves questions that had been buried. These stories move me deeply. And I feel that, deep down, it is not my doing: if something touches someone's heart, it is because it touched mine first.
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Radiating Humanity in the World: John Paul II and Culture
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